The Diva Principle

Book excerpt: Deep inside the heart of every woman is a diva just waiting to be released. It lies underneath all of the other things she has supposedly “learned” about herself—truth, fiction, deception, or just the superimposed bad feelings of others who’ve tried to smother the diva within. Although the word diva now evokes the image of a vain or undisciplined person, author Michelle McKinney Hammond takes diva back to its original meaning. It comes from the word prima donna or “first lady” and was used to describe the principal female singer in an opera or concert organization, who was the best of the best. The DIVA Principle: Divine Inspiration for Victorious Attitude shines a spotlight on fourteen women of the Bible who displayed diva-tude, including Deborah from the book of Judges, the Queen of Sheba, Wisdom, Ruth, Jacob's wives Rachel and Leah, Esther, Rahab, and more. In the process, Michelle encourages women to embrace their God-given qualities and assets with the understanding that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. With solid, practical advice, Michelle suggests ways for women to get their head, heart, life, and act together so that they will emerge happy and victorious as divas in the best sense of the word.