Own It, Don’t Borrow It

Own It, Don’t Borrow It: Your Purpose, Your Power—Stir It Up

When you own something, you treat it differently.

A borrowed item can be handled with care, but it rarely carries the same attachment or investment as something that’s truly yours.

Recently, I had the chance to be an ambassador for the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. It was beautiful—smooth drive, luxury feel, top-notch technology.  I enjoyed every minute behind the wheel… but I didn’t form an attachment. I knew it wasn’t mine and I would have to return it, but for those few days, I embodied how it made me feel. 

My Lyriq, though? That’s different. That’s my car, and I’m very particular about how I drive it, where I park it, and how my passengers treat it. Why? Because I own it. And even after the passengers get out, I’m still responsible for the payments and upkeep. It’s mine to protect and maintain — and the way I care for it directly impacts both my safety and how long it lasts.

And that same truth carries over into the way we handle our lives, our assignments, and yes, our purpose.

Borrowing Has Limits

Borrowing has its benefits. It’s perfect for something temporary. But when it comes to your life, your responsibilities, your calling? That’s not something you can afford to “borrow.” Ownership means accountability. It means investment. It means showing up fully because you know it’s yours to steward.

That’s why the words of the former Miss World gave me reason to pause:

“Power borrowed is never as strong as power owned.”

Lisa Hanna, Miss World 1993

I didn’t just hear those words—I felt them.

Lisa shared that after serving in her role as Miss World for a year, her final duty was to crown the 1994 winner. At that ceremony, what we didn’t see was the clear separation between the two queens. The new Miss World was whisked into the spotlight, and Lisa was quietly relieved of her duties off-stage. The former is not even allowed to celebrate with the successor, as to not dim the moment. The title of Miss World no longer belonged to Lisa—it rested with someone else. All she had left was knowing that she had served well while the title was hers, but that honor and the duties that went with it were no longer her responsibilities.

In reflection, Lisa acknowledged realizing that the title had been borrowed, and she would need to define who she was apart from it.

From Yesterday’s Success to Today’s Power

Lisa’s sentiments made me think about times in my own life when I had to be mindful not to lean too heavily on “the borrowed”—positions, accolades, surface-level affirmation—but instead walk in what was truly mine in the season that was before me.

I’m also reminded of a quote I heard by New York Times bestselling author, Rory Vaden:

“Success is never owned, it’s rented — and the rent is due every day.”

Someone later added,

“The problem lies when we try to pay that rent with yesterday’s currency.”

That resonates deeply with me, because borrowed power works the same way. You can hold a position, have a title, or ride the momentum of a big opportunity — but if you’re not actively investing in the strength that comes from within, you’re living on yesterday’s currency. Titles expire. Platforms shift. But your God-given assignment is yours to nurture daily. That’s how you move from borrowing power to owning it.

Owning Your Path in a Changing Season

These reminders came right on time. August has always felt like a reset. Mel Robbins calls it a “second new year” because when the summer winds down and school starts back, even adults feel the pull to realign schedules, set new goals, and start fresh. It’s the perfect time to walk in truth and own the goals that lie ahead.

And maybe that’s why Lisa and Rory’s words resonated so deeply with me. Because in seasons like this—when you’re stepping into something new or stepping away from something familiar—you have to decide: Will you keep borrowing power from old titles, familiar roles, and the approval of past seasons? Or will you own the power that is already within you—power rooted in your God-given purpose?

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Titles Are Not Our Power

I’ve worn crowns, held ranks, broken barriers. I’ve shared before that I was the first Black majorette at my high school. That wasn’t just a title or position—it was a torch to carry. Being first meant carrying the weight of representation, but it also meant lighting the path for those who would come after me.

At the predominantly white college I attended, I made the homecoming court twice, served in leadership, and stepped into spaces where Black students were often underrepresented—not to prove I was special or that I belonged, but to remind other Black and brown students that they did too. I didn’t need permission. I showed up because I had purpose, and I didn’t want anyone to question theirs.

The same was true in the military. I enlisted even though I had a college degree. Why? Because I made a strategic choice that gave me long-term financial stability by having my student loans paid off. It wasn’t conventional, but it was right for me. Later, I became a commissioned officer through a pilot program offered by the Army’s Green-to-Gold program, which allowed me to pursue an advanced degree, where previously others could only pursue a bachelor’s. Again, not because I had something to prove, but because I saw a door that I could use that others could choose to also walk through. I owned my opportunity and allowed that experience to refine me and broaden the scope of the person I was becoming.

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Own It, Don’t Borrow It

Am I saying disregard everything you’ve done or what others have done for you? Absolutely not. But don’t get stuck there or allow that be your only expectation.

Yes, I reflect often. I still have my high school homecoming queen pendant from over 30 years ago. Occasionally, I still twirl my baton with pride. I honor those parts of me, but I don’t have to be defined by them. Because those titles, just as others have been, are temporary and from former seasons that no longer serve where I am currently.

What’s eternal? The purpose. The power. The assignment.

So now, I carry my previous titles with gratitude. . . not dependency. I share my story not to say, “Look at what I’ve done,” but rather, “Look at what you can do.” I’ve never wanted to be “the exception.” I’d prefer to be “the example.”

And I hope you realize this too: Borrowed power will always run out. But power owned—power rooted in identity, purpose, and divine assignment—will keep you going when the spotlight dims and the season shifts.

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Checking My Source

But I will admit, there was a season when my roles and responsibilities felt like my only identity—to my family, my job, my church. When my life took a HARD SHIFT (and ironically, everything shifted all at the same time), I was lost. Who was I apart from those things? I tell you who I was—I was called and purposed to help transform the things around me, not to be consumed by them.  

Look at what Romans 12:2 tells us:

New King James Version (NKJV):
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Good News Translation (GNT):
“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.”

The Message (MSG):
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Let’s unpack what this means:

“Be not conformed to this world…”

Paul is warning against falling into the patterns and values of the surrounding culture. These patterns are often self-centered, short-sighted, and rooted in the pursuit of approval, status, or pleasure — the kind of things that keep us borrowing our sense of worth from people or positions instead of owning our identity in Christ. To “conform” means to fit in without resistance — to take on the shape of what’s around you without questioning it.

The Message translation says:
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.”

That’s what Paul is cautioning us against — living on autopilot and letting the culture dictate our beliefs and behaviors. If we aren’t intentional, we’ll keep reaching for borrowed validation instead of walking in the owned assurance of who God says we are.

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“But be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Transformation here is not surface-level or just about behavior. Paul wasn’t saying, “Pretend to have it together.” Instead, he was warning us not to adopt the patterns and values of the world. The world tells us to do what feels good, follow trends, chase applause, and prioritize self — all of which are temporary and borrowed. God calls us higher. God wants transformation that begins with our thinking — because when our thoughts change, our decisions, actions, and lifestyles follow.

And here’s the shift: when you renew your mind in Christ, you stop depending on borrowed perspectives to define you. You begin to own the truth of who you are and the calling on your life. When we live transformed lives, we walk in alignment with the kind of will that reflects God’s complete purpose — ownership of the calling, not dependence on borrowed approval.

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From Borrowed Approval to Owned Identity

I had to unlearn some things: My job, my motherhood, my marriage—even my ministry—were not the source of my power. They were channels, but not the well. My power didn’t come from being chosen by people. It came from being called by God.

That shift re-centered me. I didn’t need the atta-girl, the recognition, or the nameplate on my desk. What I needed was alignment with my calling, my purpose, and the power that was already working within me. That inner-working power was what sustained me in rooms even when I felt out of place and unprepared. It’s what helped me stand strong in spaces I could have only dreamed of.

Collective Strength, Not a Substitute

Last week (July 31 – August 02) at Black Writers Weekend in Atlanta, I experienced the energy of a collective moment where so many powerful voices came together. It’s inspiring to gather, to learn, to sharpen each other. But collective strength is not a substitute for personal ownership.

When the event ended, each of us had to return to our own assignments—our books, our careers, our businesses, our ministries, our missions. We can borrow strength from each other for encouragement and empowerment, but the work still has to be done by the one called to do it.

Listen. Don’t mistake someone else’s journey or platform as the prescribed path for you. And please, don’t wait for an award or the spotlight to validate your voice.

What am I saying?

Don’t feel the need to borrow power from someone else. You already have your own.

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Stir Up Your Gift

In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul reminded Timothy to “stir up the gift” that was already in him — not look for it elsewhere, not wait for someone to hand it over, and certainly not borrow it. The same is true for you. Your power, your purpose, your assignment — they are already in you.

Yes, you might ask someone for encouragement, insight, and guidance, or to share with you their wisdom. But your identity, your purpose, your God-given assignment? Those aren’t meant to be borrowed. They’re meant to be owned. Guard them. Steward them. Live them out. Yes, your titles or position in life may change many times. You borrow them for seasons. But your life’s assignment is yours. Own it.

Always here to bring the SUNSHINE! ~ Dawn

Your Time to Own It: Reflect & Join the Movement

As this new season begins, ask yourself:

• What are you still tying your identity to that no longer fits you?
  
• Are you chasing approval or standing in authority?
  
• Where are you still borrowing power when God is asking you to own yours?
  

If this spoke to you, stay connected. Join the Dawn of a New Day 365 community on Facebook, follow along on Instagram, and subscribe to receive more reflections, encouragement, and opportunities for special insights and promotions. Let’s keep growing, stirring up the gift, and owning our purpose — together.

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