My name is Elizabeth Murphy. My family and friends call me Elle. I was born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, to a family of 4. I had two brothers and an older sister until 2015 when tragedy hit my family, and we lost our youngest ( RIP David). I moved to the United States in 2009 to pursue a degree in Registered Nursing. Upon graduating in 2014, I enlisted, becoming a combat medic in the U.S. Army. I am honored to have served in active duty status for nine years. I realized my calling after enlisting and becoming a leader and mother, yet I could not define my self-identity.
After going through a tragic divorce, I moaned not so much over a broken marriage but more so over the shame and taboo that I believed I now represented. I used to think that my worth as a woman was a reflection of my marriage. I got scouted by Southwest Model and talent agency as an uprising model/actress during the most challenging season of my life, and that is when my journey and calling truly began to unfold. I realized that so many young and older adults struggle with an identity crisis daily. Our value and worth have been directly related to our accomplishments, relationship/marriage external perception of success, how much we can be of service as women etc. I went through a season of healing and growth, and after ‘Finding Me,’ like Viola Davis shares in her book, I had to spread awareness. Life is meant to be entirely lived in fullness, emotional well-being, and inner joy and wholeness. But until we take a deep dive into understanding our identity, we can’t stop chasing an alternate reality created by nature or nurture. Who we are is independent of whom society has defined us to be. I am now 32yrs old with two boys and a fur baby, and this journey has led me to realize that as humans and as women especially, we go through an entire lifespan servicing people not giving an ounce of attention to what we are or who we’ve become. I currently have an active blog www.EllesForum.com and a growing podcast called Openminded Africa #OMA geared towards educating, uplifting, and empowering our community to understand and connect to their true identity.
My mission statement
To create a spark within that helps each individual to understand their uniqueness and their unconditional worth
