Be a Blessing Along Someone Else's Journey

Have you ever had a blast from your past contact you out of the blue. Someone you worked with, laughed with, learned from, for them to reach out to you years later just to say thank you?

It happened to me a not so long ago, and it took my breath away.

A Light and Shelter in the Storm

Let me take you back.

Many years ago, I was working in a large corporate organisation in the City—a high-powered, often highly-pressurised environment. I’ve written about this chapter of my life in my book Journey to Empowerment: Tackling the Bullies Within, because that period taught me some of the hardest, most meaningful lessons of my career. It’s also where I met a remarkable young woman let's call her Simone.

Simone was a Personal Assistant to one of the firm’s Partners. From the very beginning, we clicked. We’d have lunch a couple of times a week, walk to the station together in the evenings, or catch up after work. She became a trusted friend—a lifeline, really—during a deeply challenging time in my career.

As a Black woman navigating a system that often felt cold and imbalanced, having someone like Simone in my corner meant the world. As my mother used to say, “In every enemy camp, there is a friend.” Simone was that friend. She checked in on me when I was low. She showed up with kind words, a quick joke, or a spontaneous lunch invite that always seemed to come just when I needed it. While juggling work and the intense pressure of pursuing my master’s degree in human resource development, all without the support of the organisation or my managers, I leaned on Simone’s knowledge, humour, and insight.

And let me tell you, she got it. We’d often dive into conversations about staff development, performance issues, and the ins and outs of HR strategy. Simone had an instinct for it.  She didn’t just understand HR; she embodied the mindset of someone who could lead in it.

I saw her potential from the start.

So naturally, I encouraged her—okay, maybe pushed is a better word to study for a master’s degree in HR. She had the knowledge, the people skills, and the insight. All she needed was the qualification to match. But each time I brought it up, she would laugh it off or change the subject and eventually, I stopped pressuring her because I didn’t want to force her into undertaking something she didn’t want to door, wasn’t ready to attain at that juncture. The thing is, I never stopped seeing the brilliance in her.

A Voice from the Past

Fast forward almost two decades.

I found myself driving through South East London, the neighbourhood felt familiar. Simone used to live around there somewhere I wasn’t quite sure, but I didn’t dwell on it was just a passing thought.

Then, one day out of the blue, my phone rang.

It was Simone.

Before I could even react, she told me not to say a word until she’d finished speaking.

She said, “I just want to thank you.”

I was stunned. “Thank me? For what?” I asked.

Then came the moment I’ll never forget. She said, “Do you remember how you used to tell me to go study for that Master’s in HR? You used to annoy the life out of me with how much you believed in me, especially when I couldn’t see it in myself.” She continued, “Well, I did it. I got my MA in Human Resource Management. I finally saw what you saw in me all those years ago. And I just had to say thank you.”

She laughed and asked if I’d felt my ears burning over the years—apparently, she’d been calling my name while writing late-night essays and pulling her hair out over deadlines!

I hadn’t felt a thing—but in that moment, I felt everything.

Why This Matters

That phone call reminded me of something profound: even when we’re in the thick of our own battles, we still have the power to uplift someone else. We don’t need to be perfect. We don’t need to have it all together. Sometimes, just believing in someone—really seeing them—is the very nudge they need to rise.

Simone didn’t owe me anything at all, but her phone call was a gift, a reminder that seeds we plant today can bloom in the most unexpected seasons.

So, as we move through the remainder of 2025 and beyond, I want to leave you with this:

Be a blessing along someone else’s journey.

Speak life into them.  Encourage them when they can’t see the way.  Believe in their potential, even if they resist it. Because when you bless others, you will be blessed in return, and sometimes, those blessings find their way back to you, when you need them the most.

Let this be the year you choose to see the greatness in others as they take their journeys in life. To speak on it.  To support it. Be that spark that ignites the fire in others to succeed, and be that lamp that lights their pathways when darkness looms above.

Be that blessing and a light on someone else's pathway and journey.