‘Be prepared for your great moment’

The Sagicor Group Jamaica on Tuesday hosted its motivational conference with the aim of pushing its sales employees to work towards accomplishing their goals and that of the company.

Sheryl Lee Ralph delivered the keynote address under the theme ‘Forward’.

She was on Monday conferred with Jamaica’s fourth-highest honour, the Order of Jamaica (OJ), for her stellar contribution to Jamaica’s development through the international film industry and as a cultural ambassador for Jamaica.

Ralph was among 221 individuals awarded during the ceremony of investiture and presentation of National Honours and Awards on the lawns of King’s House.

She received her first Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the comedy series Abbott Elementary on September 12.

‘Loving yourself as you are’:

Ralph spoke to the importance of self-motivation and self-love as a tool to overcome adversities.

“Everybody cannot see you; everybody can ignore you; everybody cannot help you but when the time is yours, they just cannot help it,” she said.

She recounted her early days spent in Hollywood at the age of 19 after leaving Jamaica when she was ignored in the film industry and did not receive help or encouragement by those around her. However, that, she said, taught her to “look in the mirror and love what I see”.

She said further that through self-love, individuals will be able to “walk in anywhere, no matter what the test is, and know that [they] will soar above it”.

‘Be prepared for your great moment’:

Ralph encouraged individuals that success did not have an age cap and that it could be experienced at any stage and age of life.

“Be prepared for your greatness, because it soon come ... . If you don’t make it at 50, you can make it at 60,” the 66-year-old said.

“But you have got to do the work, hold on and keep believing.”

‘There is a season for everybody, but you have to continue to work towards success’:

Ralph encouraged the employees to continue to pursue success and work towards achieving their goals as the time would come when they would be rewarded.

“There is a reason, there is a season, and there is a time, but you’ve got to work on your time. Don’t sit there and be lazy. Don’t sit there and wait for somebody else to come along to do it or help you. Don’t sit there thinking that, ‘Well, I’ve reached halfway and that is good enough’,” she said.