Our guest today is Monica Navarro-Leonard, who is a professional photographer and independent contractor from Baltimore, Maryland.

As a teenager growing up in New Jersey, Monica was actively engaged in various activities at her church and was very outgoing. However, she also struggled with anxiety & depression and felt the need to please others. 

Monica didn’t want to be just another kid wrapped up in typical teenage concerns. Instead, she felt the need to channel her anxious energy into something productive and become part of something bigger than herself and make a difference for good in this world.    

In this episode, Monica will explain how, by immersing herself in a faith-based organization, she learned  how to be responsible, self sufficient and a leader. However, she will also explain how some experiences in that same organization touched-off some unsettledness in her heart that would eventually lead her to a more complete understanding of herself, her relationship with others and most importantly, God’s grace. 

Photo(s): Courtesy of Monica Navarro-Leonard

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man