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'Becoming Visible' Author Sue McGray Tells of Transition From Insecure Codependency to Successful Entrepreneur

In her new book Becoming Visible: Letting Go of the Things that Hide Your True Beauty, author Sue Z. McGray talks of the struggle she personally faced overcoming immense feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, and tragedy, including the death of her younger sister, before eventually rising to one of the highest echelons of the Mary Kay Cosmetics Corporation.

McGray, who was born into a Christian home to a Baptist pastor as a father, only realized her worth to God as an adult, through the help of a friend.

McGray spoke with The Christian Post about her struggles with co-dependency and her ultimate realization that she is a beautiful being in God's eyes.

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CP: Could you please explain the meaning behind the title of the book, Becoming Visible: Letting Go of the Things That Hide Your True Beauty?

McGray: For part of my life, I honestly and sincerely felt invisible, and as I got into the book, I had no idea what [the title] would be. I sent part of my manuscript to the publisher and he suggested the name, he said because "that's what I heard in your book."

Growing up, I really did feel invisible. I felt that if I didn't see myself, others couldn't see me either. I went to a high school class reunion and thought honestly "they can't see me." I didn't think I had value, I didn't think I was worth anything. For several years I was in denial, I was so co-dependent it was unbelievable. After years of therapy and my divorce, which kind of shocked me, it just helped me out of it.

CP: How did you evolve from feeling invisible to visible?

McGray: Things were really bad in my life, and my [first] husband was telling me he was going to divorce me, and I went to visit a friend [Patty] who had no idea about the divorce. I ended up in her back room sitting on a cardboard box, and Patty said to me, and I think the Holy Spirit told her, she said to me, "Sue what is it going to take?"

I knew what she was taking about. She knew my life was totally falling apart, and I didn't have the walk with God that I needed to have. For several months she would be awakened at night, and she told me the next day, "I woke up in the middle of the night and God told me to pray for you."

I realized that if God loved me enough, I must have some value, I must be worth it to Him. I think those words changed me over time.

CP: What would you say is the overall message of your book?

McGray: The message would be that it's okay to be who you are, it's okay to be just you, to have self-worth and self-esteem. It's okay to make money. In especially young women, I've seen so much pain and so many tears that come down their face. I trust that my message will come across that they have value, and it's okay that they are the way they were created, but they need to be the best they can be and have success.

In writing the book, I was writing about Jesus' calling. It was all about making Christ visible through our lives. Through me speaking and having a bigger platform I was making Christ visible through my life and becoming God's child.

McGray is a motivational speaker and founder of Sue McGray Enterprises. In 2003 she qualified as a Mary Kay Independent National Sales Director, an honor only given to a few hundred women out of the company's 2 million consultants.

McGray lives in Nashville, Tenn., with her husband, three adult children and five granddaughters.

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