My name is Lamarr Womble and I have a passion for people. Because of that passion, kindness comes naturally to me.
I discovered my love of people by watching my mother. When I was 14, I was on a flight to England with my mother and brother. My mom stepped away to use the restroom and was gone for about two hours. I finally decided to go check on her since she hadn’t come back. I caught her! She had been talking to the flight attendants for most of the time she was gone. She shooed me back to my seat and returned soon after. From that point on, I took my mom’s lead when it comes to connecting with people, like asking questions about their lives and making people feel comfortable around me in a short time. That kindness allowed me to create social capital in college as a student body Vice President, Resident Assistant, and Orientation Leader, where I made an impact on hundreds of students throughout my four years.
In 2013, I moved to New York City to fulfill my duties as a Dream Director for The Future Project at a high school located in Washington Heights. My mind was full of preconceived notions about what kindness was going to look like as a New Yorker. I wasn’t expecting much, but what I found was a city of people unknowingly always looking out for each other, with citizens willing to give a stranger directions and teachers who are incredibly kind to the students they serve.
Kindness has allowed me to scale my work as a motivational speaker for my own consulting business, as well as in my role as a Dream Director. As a Dream Director, one of my main initiatives is to be sure my staff and faculty feel safe, loved, and taken care of. I feel that kindness is both a requirement and something that requires courage. No matter what my mood is, my light must shine brightly. No matter what my relationship is to individuals who may not want my support, I still offer it to them. I believe those who I serve have come to expect that kindness from me. They know that I’m willing to check in and remind them I’m here to support them in their toughest moments.
It doesn’t seem hard to be a kind person, but we are products of our environments and experiences. Until we see what it means to be consistently kind, we may never know how it feels. I ask you all to continue to be an example of what it means to love and take care of people. You very well may change someone’s life through your kindness!
Lamarr Womble
Dream Creator & Magic Maker ✨
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