The Cards of Life: When All Hope Is Gone, Trust Then Believe

People say I inspire them, but I'm not sure why; I am a young girl from the hood who made it out. I don't consider myself to have all the answers. My childhood life was hell from as far back as I can remember. By the age of five years old, I had been exposed to homelessness and child molestation. I was placed in foster care and four different living situations (from one home to another), in and out of the court system, exposed to child protection agencies, missing my father who was in prison, and dealing with my mother who was in and out of jail as well as addicted to crack cocaine and men who were no good for her. As far as I can remember, this was my life before kindergarten. I have lived through life's many struggles and persevered through every storm that blew my way. I am writing this story to inspire you. As you are going through your storms, let my stories of triumph and encouragement minister to your spirit and give you the strength to fight through any given situation (molestation, rape, failure, death, legal problems, horrific home situations, problems at work, financial woes, and any given burden). I challenge you to lay them down one by one and press forward to become a stronger you. I hope that you become motivated with every scripture and quote. Do not let the statistics in society that condemn you to fail define you. It is my prayer that you can keep moving forward and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want you to know it is not where you start but how you finish. Not everyone is equal, as we are born into circumstances beyond our control. Some of us have more advantages than others do, whether it is better homes and cars, better parents, or ideal living situations. Like a deck of cards, some of us get the ace of spades and some get the joker. Life is not an even playing field; the cards you're dealt may not be the ones you desire, but if you keep playing your hand you could still win the game.

Dr. Erica Pooler is an author, motivational speaker, and educational consultant, with expertise as a teacher of at risk youth, director of district safety and student alternative placement and principal of the neediest students (teenage parents, incarcerations, probation, homeless and in some cases hopeless). She impacts drastic changes with her polished skill sets for the redirection of unmotivated and at risk youth, by lending her support to teachers, administrators, students and parents.

She is the poster child of second chances and beating the odds and uses her past to propel her future. She was born to a mother addicted to drugs and father imprisoned, was placed in foster care, entered the juvenile system and became a teenage parent, but chose to stop making excuses for her behavior and began a journey to success, a true testament to her book entitled "The cards of life, when all hope is gone, trust then believe".

Dr. Pooler will inspire and captivate your audience with her keys to find hidden potential and determination to press forward and never quit.