These words from the live-action movie Cinderella is one of my favorites. Its message is prominently placed on our bookshelf where I see it as I work everyday. It also neatly summarizes my philosophy on coaching.
As a coach, my mission is to help you take courageous action so you can make the changes you want and craft a life you love. Usually courage looks like standing in front of a monument in EDSA protesting, helping out during disaster relief, writing an opinionated blog piece that is shared thousands of times or taking a leap (either a literal one like bungee jumping or a philosophical one like leaving a comfortable job to pursue a dream).
But most times, courage is quiet, unseen.
It is the courage of a friend to allow space for her husband and her daughter’s journeys without needing to fix them, loving and accepting them exactly as they are in this season of their lives.
It is the courage to take that one small step towards a dream, like doing research on a course you’re interested in, sending out an email to someone you want to collaborate with, asking a new friend to coffee.
It is the courage to wake up after a night of crying, when your heart is broken and resolve not to end up bitter, cynical, jaded, angry. It is the courage, as author Iain S. Thomas reminds us, to “be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”
It is the courage to acknowledge how you feel—your sadness and frustration at injustice and murder, your stress at work, your fragility at what you can’t control—instead of numbing it with over-achievement and perfectionism.
It is the courage to pray, trust and have faith that everything that is happening in your life is there to help you grow, evolve and learn.
Starting September 4, I interview four women entrepreneurs who do just that—who have the courage to continue even when things are tough or they’re not sure or when they’ve made mistakes. Check out the blog every Monday to read the stories of Apol Massebieau of Good Luck Humans, Len Cabili of Filip + Inna, Roma Agsalud of Common Room and Mikka Padua of Seek the Uniq.
This is an excerpt from the Joyful Little Note that I send to my subscribers every month. The newsletter also comes with fun freebies, exclusive collaborations and access to Inspired Space, a beautiful and soulful space which includes workbooks, e-books and journaling prompts. Subscribe to my Joyful Little Note by filling up the form below.
