Coach Kim Bettie
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Research & Revelations from the granddaughter of John Fields, formerly enslaved runaway with the spirit of entrepreneurship.

“His-story inspires people of all races and walks of life. My great-great grandfather, John Fields, was a formerly enslaved runaway with an open heart and spirit of entrepreneurship. He lived passionately working and serving his community until his last breath at 104 years old.”
— Kim Bettie

Thank you for visiting my historical journal and documented discovery of my great-great grandfather’s life lessons before and after enslavement. I’m sharing my research and revelations to inspire, motivate and transform.

You can click on the bolded links for more information about the research. And, click on the title of the blog to leave or read comments.

 

Wild & Free

 
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Wild & Free

I was so inspired by the recent biopic movie, Harriet, who showed how she repeatedly retraced her steps back through the wild-erness to set others free. She made 19 return trips to the South and helped deliver at least 300 fellow enslaved men and women to their promised land, She boasted, "I never lost a passenger." Her guidance of so many to freedom earned her the nickname "Moses." Because her rescues were so secretive and dangerous, Harriet demanded strict obedience. Quitting in the midst of a rescue was not an option. Tubman carried a revolver, but thankfully she never shot anyone.

My lesson learned from her-story, don’t break free if you are not willing to go all the way or you will end up dying in the wild-erness and jeopardizing the whole mission.

I’ve also learned that even after you are free, you have to be very careful that the survivor’s remorse doesn’t eat you alive. You can feel a sense of shame and guilt from making it to the other side of a traumatic event, and leaving others behind. I can relate to that. I am a resilient person who has made it over many hurdles that tend to keep others stuck. I’ve left emotionally abusive relationships, a toxic bully boss and my own lack of self-care and self-sabotage. Yes, I set myself free! And yes, I feel remorse for those still in bondage or stuck in the in between stage.

How do I cope? I’m a lot like Harriet Tubman. The hardest part of the journey is when you first leave, you have to be comfortable living wild and free. Dealing with all the emotions and experiencing fear of the unknown is what keeps many people stuck. My great-great grandfather said it best:

“Our ignorance was the greatest hold the South had on us. We knew we could run away, but what then?”
— John FIelds

My mission is not only to help you to break free, but also discover your “what then.” To be fully free you must honor the process of healing that along the way. You also need a powerful purpose and adaptable vision that is so full of dreams, it will fuel your journey to the other side when the going gets tough.

Are YOU ready? Don’t break free if you are not willing to go all the way.

https://www.accessgenealogy.com/black-genealogy/slave-narrative-of-john-w-fields.htm

Kim BettieComment