Conversations with Jaynell Drayton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaynell Drayton.

Jaynell, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story started when I was eight years old surviving a boating accident that threw everyone else off the boat except me. I had heard a voice prior to the accident telling me to sit at the bottom, as a result my life was spared. My next question was why? What was my purpose? Why am I here at that age, I didn’t fully understand how to answer it, but later on through the struggles of my life revealed a whole lot about my purpose. I got pregnant at the age of 17 and was met with the disapproval from my family and community. I felt like I had disappointed everyone. My parents are pastors, so I grew up in a very strict home in the Bahamas, so I wasn’t really allowed to do things or have fun like my peers, so I got married at an early age of 20 years old. One of the main reasons was to be free from the strictness and the rules, but that relationship turned out to be verbally abusive and that emotionally bankrupted me and I went into depression in 2008 and felt like I had nothing to live for… I was always into music, singing and playing the piano was therapy for me, including writing songs it was in this place that I found the strength I needed to get up and push forward…my 11-year relationship ended and I was now single with a new set of struggles. I lost everything and had to start over.

Two years later, I remarried and moved to the US, and started a new life. I soon realized that this too was declining because of financial stress and strains, it was during this time that I lost myself. I was married to a pastor and had involved myself in ministry, hoping that no one would see my pain and yet again I would have some glimmer of hope to find my purpose. We had a beautiful daughter together, and I gained more than 70 pounds…December 31, 2019 it at a watch night service something supernatural happened to me. In my new book “Emerge the Remaking of me” I talk about this awakening experience. I remember crying out to God with tears flowing down my face and telling Him that I did not want my 2020 to be anything like my 2019 because I felt like such a failure and was filled with regrets; then I felt a heat come over my entire body, it was as if I had been touched by fire, and I immediately felt different. I didn’t know it just yet but I had a mindset transformation take place. I began to get clarity on my purpose and who I am, and where I’m going, and how to get there. I started going to the gym, changed my lifestyle, and started to eat the right foods. I quickly realized how everything else in my life shifted as well. I became so passionate about life again. I became an advocate for change, and one of the lessons I’ve learned along this journey, which I’m still on is that you have to get your mind right before you start the process of change; if your mind is not right, your commitment to your goals won’t be right either. I have lost a lot of weight and continue to be on that journey but I am nowhere near to where I was a few years ago. I had to renew my mind every day and tell myself that I was doing this one thing for me, that I deserve to be happy and live a healthy life, of course I was tempted to revert back to my old mindset many times. I reminded the old version of myself of all the hard work we’ve put into being successful and I said there’s no way I will ever go back to where I was.

As a result of my mindset transformation. I was able to see success in every area of my life and now I am a happier person. I fell in love with me. I finally found my purpose and as a result, I am mentoring and coaching other women to find their passion to transform their minds, and become the best version of themselves. When we change the way, we think we open up ourselves to receive love on another level we open up ourselves to experience peace on another level and everything in our lives begins to shift, and those things that were negative now because we’re seeing things differently. It has turned around to being positive, I’m doing things that I love now needless to say, my second marriage failed, and ended in divorce for the second time, but this time my mindset was different. I was able to let go of what was holding me back and open myself up to the possibility of really finding true love… right now I’m living my best life. I now have the love that I’ve always desired. My health is so much better… I’m following my dreams, and I’m doing things on another level. If I had to do this all over again, I would choose the exact same path because all of the pain that I’ve endured and the hardships that I’ve faced, it really helped to shape me into the woman I’ve become today, and because of my story, my tenacity and my resilience I am able to empower other women as an inspirational speaker, helping them to emerge and reigniting the passion inside of them, and driving them to their purpose.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were so many struggles along the way, so many times I wanted to give up, especially before my mental transfusion in 2019. I suffered with fear and anxiety, and my fear was so bad that I was too afraid to drive on the streets… in 2014, I was in an accident hit from behind by a drunk driver… the sound of the tires and the metal grinding the road and the glass shattering had played on my mind for so long… fear had me in its grips. Everything else in my life was going down a downward spiral as well. It’s hard trying to do the same thing, expecting a different result. It almost never happens. Change is the only way that we can level up and get to a different dimension, mentally physically, and emotionally. I had to get to that place where I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I really wanted to see my life at a more happier place. I really wasn’t happy. I so desperately wanted to experience a true connection and be in a loving relationship. Being married to a pastor, I knew that my life would be examined under a microscope but I decided that it was time to choose me to choose my peace, and choose my happiness, and go after my purpose to fulfill my destiny, and in doing that God gave me the strength to let go of the old and make space for the new things, people and relationships he was bringing to my life.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been working in the financial industry for more than 20 years I’ve also spent time in Radio in Broadcasting and television, which is what I initially went to school for. I am an author, and I’ve just finished my third book. I am also an international recording artist, winning many awards for my music and my songwriting abilities. I am in the process of completing another album for 2024. so I’m really excited to use my gifts and my talents to express who I am. Music is very therapeutic for me and has helped me through some of the darkest moments. Things that I’m most proud of are being able to speak into the lives of other people and being able to inspire them and bring hope where there was none to be a source of encouragement and support, letting them know that they can be all have all, and do all that God called them to do… my ability to motivate and transform lives helped me to understand the reasons why I had to go through what I did… Now I’m speaking all over the world…

I speak at graduations, women’s, empowerment sessions, conferences actually anywhere that gives me the platform to push someone into their purpose ..one of the things that separates me from a lot of other people is my ability to relate because I’ve been through so many things and have endured criticism, backlash and judgment, and I know what it’s like to be ostracized to be victimized. It’s my ability to show empathy and compassion… when I see someone, I’m not just looking at where they are right now, but I speak to who I know they have the potential to become, and people appreciate that ..they appreciate not being judged for making a mistake or making the wrong decision, all of the choices we’ve made causes us to build stamina to become the fearless person that we are, or we will become in the future. Because of this newfound insight and hope, I have a joy and a peace that surpasses all understanding. I’m always excited about life. I’m excited about helping others tap into that joy also.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I really don’t believe in luck. I believe that nothing happens by coincidence and one of my favorite scriptures is Romans eight and 28 that says, for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and called according to His purposes, so we were chosen, and the chosen don’t have a choice When we were created, we were all given a specific assignment to complete and it is our duty to uncover or discover why we were sent to earth and on this journey called life we’ve experienced some things had some hardships, bumps, and bruises along the way, but once we discovered who we really are and tap into the supernatural being that we are, we’re able to change the world we’re able to build better communities, build stronger families and still build multi-million dollar businesses. It’s because of my faith in God that I’ve been given a second chance. There is power in a changed mind. When you are transformed and renewed by your mind, things begin to look different, you act different, the world opens up to you in a way that you’ve never seen before, and then change takes place and before you know it, you are conquering the world and going after your dreams and goals relentlessly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesheinspirednetwork.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/misssheinspiredspeaks
• Facebook: Facebook.com/sheinspired2019
• Youtube: YouTube.com/channel/UCmWHAR3lyO1wSUrtYIN
• Other: www,Thewaistsnatcher.com

Image Credits
Cisco Studios Charles Robinson Photograpy Bracey Photos Light of Imagery