Sharon Hughes is a faith-driven confidence and leadership development speaker. She equips high-capacity women leaders to dismantle insecurity, break agreement with limiting beliefs, and lead with grounded authority in both the marketplace and ministry.

As an entrepreneur who built and scaled an international wholesale company and a former corporate trainer who designed nearly 30 leadership development programs, Sharon understands the pressure of leading visibly while navigating internal doubt. She is also the 3x award winning author of The Girl in the Garage: 3 Steps to Letting Go of Your Past.

Links:

sharonhughes.net

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-hughes-speaker/

IG: @‌sharonhughesofficial

FB: https://www.facebook.com/CalledtoConfidence

Welcome to 12-Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, his creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you Sharon.

What part of the world are you in today?

I'm in Las Vegas, Nevada, also known as Sodom and Gomorrah.

Great pleasure to connect with you.

For the first time I've heard someone refer to Las Vegas as Sodom and Gomorrah.

What's the reason for that?

It's known as Sin City, so I guess you're not familiar with the area.

It's got quite the reputation.

Tell me about the girl in the garage.

That caught my attention.

What is that book about?

Well, the girl in the garage is my story of walking through a lot of trauma, coming to a place where I was feeling like I couldn't go on anymore.

I told the Lord, I'm not going to make it through all of this.

He quite simply asked two questions that I call the God questions.

That is, what are you believing about yourself?

When he asked me that, I said, you got to be kidding me.

You know everything.

You know exactly what I think.

He said, is it true?

No one in my life had ever asked me if what I believed about myself was true.

That was pivotal.

Everything that I teach, whether it's in the personal development, the spiritual and emotional healing space, or even in corporate training, it always starts off with those two questions, because they're so foundational to how we see ourselves and the world around us.

Tell me about how you came to meet Jesus, that voice that asked that question.

No, I don't think I remember a time in my life where I didn't know the Lord.

I grew up in a home that went to church.

I can't say that I've got, like a lot of people, they say, oh on this day, I accepted Jesus.

I've always believed that Jesus was my Lord and Savior.

So hearing from him, what has that been like through the years growing up?

There were seasons where I wasn't walking with Jesus.

It's one thing to know him as your Savior and believe in him for the work he did on the cross for salvation.

It's a whole other thing when you know that the Lord loves you and adores you and has a plan for you.

I didn't know that Jesus until I was probably in my late 30s, early 40s, when I really started seeking.

I was going through a lot of hard things.

I was just like, Lord, there's just got to be more.

I don't understand so many things.

I started pursuing him.

I say it like I was chasing Jesus, not knowing he doesn't need to be chased, but that's how I felt about it.

It was just this hot pursuit that I was going to catch him and not let go.

That's probably really what I thought in my mind was that once I caught him, I would not let him go.

That's not how he operates, though.

So those things that I thought early on were not coming from truth, wisdom, and discernment.

Now it's a different relationship.

It's a resting in him.

He pursues us.

Like the word says, he leaves the 99 to go find the one.

He pursues us, and we just need to stop and rest in that.

Was that something challenging for you, the concept of resting versus going and getting your own self, getting it done yourself?

100 percent, because I grew up being taught very much to be a people pleaser and that love was conditional.

Those are not biblical at all.

I think that's where the church has really gotten it wrong.

A lot of people operate with a religious spirit, very legalistic.

God is so gracious.

He sees us in our humanity.

After all, he created us.

He knows it's hard to be human.

It's hard to get our brains around these big ideas of the universe and God being all-knowing and ever-present everywhere.

So yeah, it was really hard to stop.

I really thought that I had to jump through all the hoops to please him, and that's a big fat lie.

Today, what's been the result of being able to rest in him?

It's just generally more peace and knowing that when your Lord, who's also your father, is the creator of everything and we have such easy access to him, there's no reason to strive.

There's no reason to jump through hoops and perform.

We can rest in him, walk with him, and he's going to direct our paths.

I think we overcomplicate it in our humanity.

Again, one of the things that you're talking about that may be challenging for others is listening to the voice of God and then being able to activate and make that move.

Are you seeing that as a challenge that other women specifically have in understanding the voice of God?

I think that that is a challenge.

To use the analogy of the Israelites, when they wandered in the desert, we know that was really a short walk, but they wandered for 40 years.

It was because they wanted the promise of that promised land, but they weren't willing to surrender and leave Egypt behind.

The Lord was not going to bring Egypt into the promised land.

That's really the challenge that we all have in our day-to-day lives.

What are we willing to leave behind to step into the next?

For me, it was easy at this place, but it was because the Lord had walked with me through so many small things of leaving this behind for the next, to where I got to the point where I was like, if it's not God's calling, then I don't want it.

Then there's the other side of it, of course, because we always think, well, did I get it right?

Did I hear him correctly?

He's not the kind of God that's going to hit you over the head because you got something wrong.

You can always pack up and go back if you've got it wrong.

He's going to direct that.

Moving across state lines, it's not like I left him in California.

For the audience, wherever you go, he's there with you.

He doesn't withhold his presence from you because you've got something wrong.

Your map is wrong.

He's going to go with you and he'll redirect you.

He'll help you course correct.

What's an example of the first step someone should take understanding their faith in God?

It's really getting the concept that you don't have to have everything about faith all figured out.

When you step into faith, it becomes this journey where each day you're going to learn more and your faith is going to grow and you're going to become stronger.

But some people get really in their head because they're looking down the road and thinking that they should understand the concepts of what is down the road when it's not possible because you're not there yet.

Giving yourself just that grace because God is giving you that grace.

He sees you as his child.

He doesn't expect you to have it all figured out right out of the gate.

Give yourself grace.

I think that's the most important thing.

Something I love is the perspective is an intentional thing and not something that just comes on automatically in your thoughts.

It feels as though, and you can correct me if I'm inaccurate, this is the buildup of who Sharon is.

You're constantly making those thoughts and you're taking those thoughts, putting them in the correct place, not denying that the feeling is there.

Is that accurate?

Probably.

I mean, this whole thing of being human I think is complicated and messy and we like to have our ducks in a row.

We want to know what the game plan is.

I think just, I mean, part of it is the older you get, the more you realize things just don't work that way.

But then secondly, when you're on that faith journey, there's so much of dying to self and trusting in the Lord.

So it goes hand in hand.

Hmm.

Sharon, this has been amazing.

For someone that's listening, what's the best way for them to connect with you?

Oh, you can visit my website, sharonhughes.net, and there's a contact button.

I'd love to hear from you and hear your thoughts of what you thought about this chat with Angle and let me know how I can pray for you also.

Five years from today, you're listening to this conversation.

What's one message you'd leave for future you?

Stay the course.

Stay the course.

This has been a great pleasure.

In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share with our amazing audience?

Yes.

Believing a lie is just as powerful as believing the truth.

So just let that sit and think about your life.

What lies are you believing?

And then, like I said earlier, follow it up with, is it true?

Be discerning.

Pray for wisdom always.

Again, Sharon, a pleasure.

I treasure.

Thank you for being what is inspired.