By Bonnie DeShong
Erica Campbell is an award-winning recording artist, radio and TV personality, author, wife, mother, and let’s call it like it is, the woman can just sing.
She has just released a new single called POSITIVE, which is now my morning anthem before I start my day.
Feeling sure, feeling clear, feeling positive
Feeling free and complete from the love you give
No, you won’t ever leave me, I’m positive, I’m positive, yeah, I’m positive
I recently caught up with Erica and we sat down for a Bonnie’s Eye chat. She told me she wrote the song during the pandemic when she wasn’t feeling positive.
Erica said, “I believe what you say to yourself, about yourself, is very important. So much so, I ask my children that in the morning. What are you saying to yourself, about yourself?
“And when you declare that I feel good, I’m clear, I’m complete, I’m loved, I’m capable, I’m ready, I’m powerful, I’m valuable, I’m necessary, when you say those types of things, it really sets your day in the right direction.”
“On the same note, if you wake up with a negative attitude and are so sure it is going to be a bad day you have spoken it into existence. “We all have a path to be unraveled, at times.”
Erica elaborated, “I know it’s very human, but I wrote this song because I wanted people to say something different. We’ve got enough negativity in our TV shows, in politics, in our music, in our movies. I think it’s time to say something different. Why not tap into what God has already said about us? That allows us to speak positive and to live positive.”
In Erica’s video for POSITIVE she creates all kinds of negative scenarios that can easily happen to all of us that will send us into another dimension, but she presents a positive way of seeing the situation and things work out. Is the glass half full or half empty and how do you look at it?
Erica Campbell: “Mm-hmm (affirmative). Absolutely. You can look at it as the glass half-full or the glass half-empty. It depends on what you have inside,” she said.
“My mom used to sing a song. Everything in you has got to come out. So, I think that when you operate in a certain place, you’ve got to look within. Why did I respond that way? Why did I get that angry? Why did I not have the ability to kind of hold it together, even though there was chaos all around.”
Erica continued, saying,” If it’s a fire, you don’t want to run to it and jump into it. You want to stay away. So, if I feel myself going in the wrong direction, I’m trying to always pull myself back in, not in my own strength, but with the help of God. That’s what makes it doable.
She explained further, “I’m not just ignoring how I feel because I love the humanity that’s in scripture. The scripture deals with what we’re going through, being frustrated, irritated, annoyed, not having enough. Sickness, family problems, all these things, but still you’ve got to make a choice on how you look at it.”
Her insightful book entitled More Than Pretty: Doing the Soul Work that Uncovers Your True Beauty, carries a message that is helpful to both men and women on finding your voice and your power.
“The lessons that I’ve learned about myself, over these years, I believe can be helpful and beneficial, not just to me, but to many other women and men. So I wrote the book with the intention of helping people realize that they’re more than they’ve gone through.”
The award winning artist emphasized, “More than the cancer that I’ve battled. I’m more than the weight that I carry. I’m more than the divorce I’ve gone through. I’m more than my parents being lost.
“Because people, they feel so deeply when they go through things, but you don’t have to allow that to be a mark on your life. You know what I mean? It’s a part of your life, a part of your story, but not your story in totality.
“So, learn to rise above, to realize that you’ll have new normals. You’ll have to look at yourself and evaluate your circle, evaluate your community and things like that. I think it helps us all to grow.”
Erica and I spoke on many topics, from her and sister Tina singing the Black National Anthem at the Superbowl, to her morning radio program, being a First Lady of the church, to raising a family, all at the same time. I truly enjoyed my conversation with Erica. It was enlightening and POSITIVE.
You can find POSITIVE anywhere you stream live music. You may also follow her @imericacampbell on social media platforms.
As we were leaving, she had a message for all of you.
Erica Campbell: “Thank you so, so much for the support and the love. I truly, truly appreciate it. I cannot do this without you. So, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!
