Anita Ivette Ferrer

I attribute my success to Jesus coming into my life in 1982 and completely turning the garbage in my life around. After an absolutely horrendous childhood being bullied in public school because my strict Puerto Rican military father wouldn't let me dress like other kids, my parents' divorce, my mother's mental breakdown, and being cast into foster care - I was invited to church by a guy I met at a pool hall in Collingswood, New Jersey. I went and got born again in 1982, and that's when Jesus came into my life and completely turned everything around. It's remarkable that after everything I've been through things that have caused many women to have nervous breakdowns or commit suicide - I have an incredibly creative mind. I'm never confused, I'm never afraid. After I write a blog, I'm amazed and think, I can't believe I wrote that. I thank God that my mind is so very clear. It's just an amazing miracle. The most notable achievement is emerging with confidence, hope, and a passion for excellence for other people.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is simple: “keep going.” After experiencing significant challenges and childhood trauma, it was a faith-based leader who helped guide me toward a healthier path and a renewed sense of purpose. Their encouragement and support helped me persevere during difficult seasons and stay focused on growth and healing. Today, I carry that same message forward and use my weekly sermons to encourage and uplift others, helping them find strength, resilience, and direction in their own journeys.

I always give young women this advice: find yourself a really good pastor who's like a father, that loves God, that loves people, that's tender, that's compassionate, but also will be able to tell you the truth in love. Tough love is very important. And especially if they come from a bullied background, they need to attach themselves to women or other girls who are confident, and get a good mentor. Be surrounded by people who can speak life and success into you.

Right now, my biggest challenge is getting rid of this condition called TMJ dystonia, which is a movement disorder. It's like having a slight epileptic seizure every waking moment of my day. Even when I want to be still, I can't. I don't want to go to restaurants because I'd be so distracting, moving and shaking so much. Thank God I don't have to sit in a church congregation because of this. My services are online with my pastor. This condition happened when a dentist was taking out my amalgam fillings, which had mercury in them. The dentist was not an organic dentist and didn't use the proper hazmat protocol or rubber dam, so the mercury got into the open area of my tooth and into my brain. It messed up my neurotransmitters, my hormones, and damaged the trigeminal nerve, which connects the jaw to the mouth and the tongue. That's what gives me the seizures all day. I'm really desperate to find a cure for this condition. I'm always blogging and doing research, and I'm on the Dystonia Facebook support group and the Lyme support group. I also battled Lyme disease for 6 years and I'm in remission from Lyme's right now, thank God, but the dystonia is extremely distressing. It's the only major thing that's a hindrance in my life. When the day is finished, I'm laying on the bed exhausted, but my little kitty cat jumps into bed under the covers right next to my head and starts purring, and I say, thank you, God, this is awesome.

Number one is faithfulness. I take friendships very seriously, all my relationships. I'm very serious about them, and I want to be dependable. If they need me, I'm here for you. I have some beautiful women that are intercessors and very mature women, and one of them said to me, Anita, you're so stable. And I was like, wow. That's because commitment and faithfulness is so important to me. I love people, I will not let you down. Number two is truthfulness and honesty. I say, whatever it is, I don't care how bad it is, let it out, tell me about it. I have a good listening ear, I listen, I don't judge, because I say, you know what? Look at me, I'm pretty pitiful. I have no right to judge anyone or criticize them. That's the sad thing about life - people are very quick to judge, and we need to be humble. Humility, that's number three. Every day I'm on my knees saying, Lord, please forgive me. I'm so pitiful, but you are so great. Thank you for using me. Thank you, Lord, for calling me out of your darkness into your marvelous light. So those three are the main ones: faithfulness, honesty, and humility.