Stronger together

08 June 2020

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together"

Consciously or unconsciously we set ourselves our own limits. My passion is to enable both women and men to surpass these restrictions by unlocking their innate human potential. As an executive coach and leadership developer, my day to day job is to empower talents by helping them succeed in their professional lives and overcome challenges.

I joined PWN 8 years ago upon my return from the US to France in order to maintain an international outlook. I value meeting and sharing experiences with other talented women. As a mother of three daughters entering the professional world, I am particularly dedicated to accelerating the careers of all women. As such, my first act of sorority with PWN was to lead a mentoring program.

I am convinced that today is the perfect time to embody “sorority in action”. By sorority I am referring to the mutual exchange of support within our community, the goal being to strengthen our confidence and act as a springboard to accomplish our dreams.

Confinement has fundamentally changed our lives. We suddenly find ourselves in a delimited space with much more responsibility, juggling our job, the education of our children, exercise, housekeeping chores… Living together or alone 24/7 is complicated! Some of our qualities and weaknesses are accentuated, others are revealed. The pace at which we gain awareness and understand ourselves has accelerated. Our essential needs and characteristics surfaced. Therefore, as my second act of sorority with PWN members, I want to share several tips I came up with in order to identify these essentials.

Never forget that you are unique; no one else has acquired the same set of strengths, weaknesses and experiences you have. This whole is what makes you extraordinary and unstoppable. It is therefore essential that you become aware of what defines your personality and believe in what makes you special. Gaining this awareness is the first key.

Personally, I faced this challenge of confinement as an experiment to learn more about others and myself. I realized how crucial maintaining social interactions and sharing with others were in my life. Such illuminations also tend to occur when reading a book, listening to leaders or finding inspirational quotes, and exchanging with others. Sometimes, even small actions can initiate drastic transformations. All of a sudden, everything falls into place. How has this evidence not come to your mind sooner? My message to you is that by multiplying possibilities, meeting people and learning, you grow.

Remember you are your best friend, treat yourself with kindness to boost your self-confidence. On social media people tend to distort reality and reveal only the best aspects of their lives. However, there is no doubt that life is a rollercoaster for everyone. Your duty is to accept what is inside your “Pandora’s box”: adapt to external situations and overcome to the best of your ability situations you can control. Don’t waste your precious energy fighting against things that are out of your reach. This simple attitude will reinforce your confidence and help you to feel better. 

And dare to try; you might succeed. However, one thing is for certain, without this first step you will never reach your goal. I am a strong believer of the Anglo-Saxon saying: “There are no silly questions or actions”. By doing your best and what you deem as essential, you will never be disappointed. It will sometimes be difficult to persevere. But, reaching your dreams is worth the shot. You deserve to accomplish some of these dreams! Remind yourself that the hardest part is to start. I invite you to challenge yourself and embrace the courage lying inside of you. 

Are you afraid of not being ready? GO anyways as being ready is an attitude and spontaneity is an essential feature to thrive. You just have to step forward, one foot after the other as you did when you first learned to walk many years ago. You tried, you fell, you lifted yourself back up on your feet, until you succeeded. Eventually the task became so natural that running did not require much thought. You can thank your main ally for this easing learning curve: your brain. Your brain is an incredible muscle known to adapt, such that new and seemingly harder challenges will become easier to face over time. Believe in your instincts, anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Don’t wait for perfection but act, you might be pleasantly surprised!  Success is at your fingertips! Today will always be the perfect day to begin. Let’s start, TODAY! 

    

Confinement helped me understand my strengths: sharing best practices and energizing others.  As an active and dedicated woman, I decided to empower all the confined in their daily lives. Aware of this unique and unstable situation, I decided to act. 7’CHRONO was born! In short 7 minutes videos, professionals share their passion and expertise. My goal is to offer a free positive break in your day. I accepted that the first videos were imperfect to my standard and launched my project on YouTube nonetheless. What mattered to me is to learn by doing and continuously improve. 8 experts explored various subjects related to personal and professional development such as confidence, communication, stress and time management. Our fellow PWN member Corinne Albert also took up this challenge and addressed how to manage parenthood. 20 themes are waiting for you. Be curious, go, learn and share! If I did it, you can do it. I invite all of you to step forward TODAY. Dare to begin something new. Be the reason why your dream becomes a reality. And never stop dreaming! 

My next dream is that the PWN community becomes a hub where one can share their successes whatever the scope. In turn it will incentivize others to join the movement and spread positivity. Will you help me to make this dream come true?

  

    
Sophie Muffang
Executive coach & leadership trainer, founder of SMC²
Author: Femmes, osons pour réussir, guide d’auto-caching pour réussir dans son job
YouTube 7’CHRONO: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-Gq68ZUCw_VfBh3MCthaQ/videos
Site : http://www.smc2.org/

 

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