Let’s get to know each other, shall we?
WELL HEY THERE FRIEND!
Welcome to the wonderful, electronic world of Tega. My prayer is that as you read these words on your screen, you get to know me a little bit better and hopefully, I get to know you more too! Here’s a little about me:
I was born in Brooklyn, New York to a single mother who’d recently (and by recently, I mean at seven months pregnant y’all) moved to the States from Nigeria. Through various trials, tribulations, and a plethora of stories, we landed in Georgia before I turned two. Since then, I’ve lived in many different areas of Georgia and call this space my home!
As the girl who was constantly the new kid, constantly finding herself in new spaces, and always having the need to be known and seen, I spent a lot of my years trying to find value and validation in so many various things. From wrestling with my image as a kid who grew up with glasses and braces, to placing my identity in validation, to dealing with familial trauma and wounds, to pornography addictions and lots of hiding, to being the oldest sibling, I’ve run to and fro, my friends. I spent many years of my life searching. And after years of running and searching with no avail, God met me exactly where I was at with a claim and a new name for me: Worthy. Loved. Seen. Accepted.
As an adult now, (which, even saying I’m an adult is WILD) I’ve learned to grow in who and how God has created me. The veil’s been removed, so to speak. In a world that does an amazing job at creating boxes to place people in, I’ve learned of the beauty and power in operating in how each and every one of us have been created to live: as beings, set apart for the glory of God. My mission in life is to create space for others to do the same, stepping out and towards God’s original design for their lives. And in no way, shape, or form is this walk perfect — but man oh man am I grateful for God’s constant hand in my growth!
So um…
… what is it that you actually do?
Great question!
Here’s some context before I directly answer that question:
Growing up, I was always told that I was smart. I had ambition, I did well in school, I had friends, and I could talk to people — and immediately, my Nigerian family (and practically anyone who I’d met) stamped the label DOCTOR right on my forehead. And I mean stamped, y’all. I felt like I couldn’t wash the label off.
Before I knew it, I had believed that I was born and created to do that very thing. I loved people, I loved helping others, I had some interest in Math and Science, even though my favorite subjects were Social Studies and English, so at age five began my journey and pursuit to become a medical doctor.
I ended up studying Neuroscience as a pre-med student throughout my undergraduate years, and it wasn’t until my senior year of college that I had some wise mentors in my life challenge me with the question:
What do you REALLY want to do?
Through some God-ordained conversations and really wild events, I realized that I wanted to speak and teach, host, creative direct, create written and visual content, and help individuals and groups alike remove the veil of who they are expected to be and live out who they’ve been called and created to be.
“Becoming who God created you to be is less about what you put on, and more about what you take off. At the very core, the original design remains. And that is good.”
- Tega Faafa