Reignite the light inside

The last couple of years; months and weeks have been challenging for most people. People are going through a lot and some are even giving up hope or even considering migrating to other countries or changing jobs. It is a real time of hardship and difficulty and depending on your risk/hardship tolerance level this might be the time to give in whilst you can still salvage the little that you have.

As I was sitting; journaling and pondering on my and my clients’ issues; I found myself wondering whether we are going to turn the tide. I also asked myself when are we going to see things turning in a more positive direction? I don’t have the answer to any of these questions but one thing I know for sure; the day always follows the night. Sometimes the day’s weather can be a little overcast or even rainy but light and sunshine always follows.

This requires a shift in mindset and embracing more positive thinking. Norman Vincent Peale has written extensively about this topic and my main take away is “Believe in yourself”. This is what I want to talk about today and find that part of you that does not easily give up.

We all have an innate ability to bounce back or change our circumstances. However we allow self doubt and fear to take center stage and determine our altitude. We utter statements like…who am I to be successful? Who am I to make a significant change in my personal circumstances? I am unlucky or I am not good enough.

If I said you CAN change the current trajectory for the better you will probably accuse me of living in cloud cuckoo land. Here is the thing…..”every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember; you have within you, the Strength; the Patience; and the Passion to reach for the stars to change the world”Harriet Tubman.

This requires us to dig deep and turn to that part of us that propels us to move forward; the inner child whose ambitions have been put into slumber for decades because we don’t want to be judged. That part of you exists and is waiting to be given the space to show you and the world that it is possible to overcome whatever hardship you are going through right now.

One of my favourite songs is Mariah Carey’s Hero…when she says…”There is hero; if you look inside your heart; you don’t have to be afraid; of what you are. There’s an answer; if you reach into your soul and the sorrow that you know; will melt away”.

My invitation to you today is …..find that hero inside of you and reignite the light inside and use your personal strength to propel you forward. Tata Nelson Mandela once said…”May your choices reflect your hopes not your fears. So; start today towards the attainment of your wildest and scariest dreams.

If you need a little encouragement and tools to tackle these issues…Join me at the Incredibly You hybrid event on the 18th and 19th August 2022 as I will be joined by incredible women in celebrating women’s month.

Don’t miss out…sign up using the link below and explore ways to step into your power.

https://pay.yoco.com/zenande-leadership-consulting

Pamthecoach

Grit and Grace for women

Image by Getty Images

This week’s blog is directly influenced by my current read which is Grit and Grace by Sandra Haseley’s. This book is about the stories of 12 women who wrote about how they dealt with serious life blows and yet managed to rise up and also handle the situation with grace and humility. This blog is not a review of the book but more of an appreciation of the work done at two levels I.e. firstly the subject matter or content of the book and secondly the women’s collaboration in birthing this gift to all of us.

I am greatly inspired by the sisterly collaboration as it represents the essence of being a woman today. I firmly believe that the more women support each other and collaborate on large projects/ initiatives the more we can move the needle on women’s emancipation. Sisterhood and collaboration are the foundational elements for achieving our shared goal of ensuring society’s recognition and appreciation of the contribution women make in the formal economy. Their representation at the higher echelons of organizations and institutions cannot be overemphasised. Women’s time to lead is NOW whilst the world is grappling with major issues. We need the feminine and nurturing voice at the main table; more so now than we ever did.

The main topic for today is about GRIT… that innate ability to soldier on when you find yourself swimming against the tide. Life happens to the best of us…. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Often times these things are engineered and women often find themselves in unsupported environments all in the name of creating opportunities or ticking boxes.

The creation of equal opportunities should not even be a topic for discussion and yet many studies and papers; point to the fact that women remain under represented in key decision making platforms. When they are; they are often in the minority and have to prove themselves and show their worthiness in being placed in these positions.

Getting to a position is one big and considerable step however staying in the position and even better…trusting yourself enough to make the right decisions is often a challenge faced by many. In addition to letting go of self-doubt I want to add building what Prof Angela Duckworth calls “Grititude”. It’s the acceptance that you will make mistakes; perhaps fall hard but believing enough in your craft will get you back to the driving seat again. As they say…it’s not the number of times that you fail that matters; on the contrary it is how often do you rise again having learnt your life lesson(s).

“Grititude” is built in the arena; you have to be in the game to develop the necessary muscles; so put your best foot forward and lead with grace because you belong there and you have earned your stripes. Let’s raise our hands and let’s step forward and fill in that application form and declare to the world that we deserve to be at the table. Let’s do this unashamedly and with a great sense of confidence in our ability to change the course of society’s misfortunes.

Join me and my guests at the upcoming Incredibly You” event where we will be exploring this and other topics that matter to women today.

Don’t miss out…sign up using the link below and hurry up as seats are selling fast.

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Pamthecoach

Investing in Women

Zenande Leadership

Image by Brooke Fischer

Archbishop Tutu once said “If we are going to see real development in the world; then our best investment is in Women.” This is an affirmation that we often take for granted. Here is the thing…we live in a patriarchal world and this narrative is not the dominant one hence we don’t even entertain it.

Women remain the majority of our society and in many situations they are the primary care givers and society’s nurturers. Society often does not value this trait until we get hit by a pandemic. Now that we have learnt to live with Covid-19 and it’s venom seemingly abated; how many of us still remember the role of health workers ( doctors and nurses) played at a time when society was helplessly plunged into a crisis.

When we talk about investing in women we mean; giving women the space and opportunities to…

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Investing in Women

Image by Brooke Fischer

Archbishop Tutu once said “If we are going to see real development in the world; then our best investment is in Women.” This is an affirmation that we often take for granted. Here is the thing…we live in a patriarchal world and this narrative is not the dominant one hence we don’t even entertain it.

Women remain the majority of our society and in many situations they are the primary care givers and society’s nurturers. Society often does not value this trait until we get hit by a pandemic. Now that we have learnt to live with Covid-19 and it’s venom seemingly abated; how many of us still remember the role of health workers ( doctors and nurses) played at a time when society was helplessly plunged into a crisis.

When we talk about investing in women we mean; giving women the space and opportunities to lead. Listening to their wise counsel and setting resources aside solely for their uplifting as we recover from many economic and societal woes.

This August on the 18 &19 I am hosting 6 prominent women at the Incredibly You event. This event includes women from all walks of life coming together in a hybrid event to celebrate and honour the role that women play.

Do not miss out on this event…sign up using the link below and I promise you will be exposed to rich content and a networking opportunity.

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Don’t miss out as seats are filling up quickly.

In the meantime remember that we need to invest in our women and more importantly women should also invest in themselves.

Pamthecoach