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How has a domino changed your life?

A domino is the first to take the leap, the first to break the norm, the first to say yes or to say no. How has a domino impacted your life or how have you impacted others by being a domino?

There have been many moments in my life and career where I’ve had the privilege of being a domino. From being the first in my extended family to move out of province for university, to co-creating a documentary film showcasing women entrepreneurs during a time when our stories weren’t as widely shared, and now in cultivating my own space in well-being and personal development as a Resilience Educator. I now get to be a domino in supporting others to create systems and learn values-aligned ways of protecting their well-being. 

Being a domino is powerful.

Last summer when I was bringing together The Next Right Step, my 8-week masterclass program helping folks create a holistic blueprint for life and work, I dreamed of having four incredible humans join us for guest interviews to inspire our participants. You heard from one of them, Minaa B. last week, but the first person to say yes was actually the New York Times best-selling author, Luvvie Ajayi Jones.

When Kim on my team told me Luvvie said yes, I fell out of my office chair. I was floored… literally! I shouted at my screen from my office floor, cheering as the team laughed along. We did it. This yes meant anything was possible for TNRS. That’s truly how I felt in that moment and it gave me the push I needed to keep going.

When we hold dreams for ourselves quietly in our hearts, they feel safe but at times, stifled. Once we take the steps to bring those dreams to life, it’s as though our fear lives on our skin. The fear of rejection, the fear of failure… the necessary fears of continuing to grow and expand are so present as we wait and work on the dream at hand.

Having someone be our first domino can change everything. From morale to execution, that yes from Luvvie was a crucial step in making TNRS a success, and in helping my business survive the pandemic.

You’ll never know if you don’t ask, or if you don’t try. And as Luvvie says in today’s episode, ‘The worst thing to happen is hearing no.’ And it’s often not as bad as you think it may be. On the flipside, you might just accomplish what you’ve set out to do in the most impactful of ways.

This is your sign to leap towards whatever it is that is calling you. Rooted in your identity, and connected to your community. The world is waiting for you to be the domino, or to find your domino.

APRIL 22, 2021

This episode of Lessons Learned, Luvvie Ajayi Jones shares with us the power of surrounding yourself with people who see the bigger you, how connecting to your identity is a superpower, and how you have permission to want more in your life and work.

Komal

Until next time,

P.S.