After the mountain... more mountains.

At the beginning of the year, it’s easy to feel unstoppable.
Clean slate. Big goals. Energy is high.
We whisper mantras like “This is the year” and “Best year yet.”

I know I did.
I claimed 2025 as my best year ever. I didn’t hope. I decided.

And then Q1 happened.
I faced a big rejection that stung.
I slept in more hotel beds than my own.
My routine got wrecked. I had to get scrappy. Creative. Resourced.

Here’s what I know to be true:

The moment you choose growth, it’s easy to expect that the path ahead will be smooth.
But growth never comes without friction.

Stretching is uncomfortable.
Becoming someone new requires you to leave parts of yourself behind.
Release, even when it’s aligned—can still bring grief.

Letting go of who you’ve been is a kind of death no one talks about.

And yet—

This is the work.
The mountain is the point.
The work works on you.
The joy is not in the arrival—it’s in the climb.
It’s in the becoming.

There’s a Haitian proverb I’ve been sitting with this week:

“Dèyè mòn, gen mòn.”

“Beyond mountains, there are mountains.”

It’s a reminder that even when you summit one challenge, another will rise in the distance.
Not because you’re failing—because you’re living.
There is no arrival.
This is what it means to grow, to evolve, to lead.

The goal was never to finish the climb.
The gift is becoming the kind of person who can keep climbing, again and again, with heart, with presence, and with deep trust in themselves.

So here’s your weekly check-in:

Are you looking at the terrain you’re navigating—steep climbs, rocky paths, unexpected turns—as a burden…

Or a gift?

Because it’s a gift. Every single step of it.

Pause.

Breathe.

Acknowledge yourself.

You’re doing brave, invisible work. And that deserves to be seen.

As leaders, here’s what we often get stuck on:

We default to asking how.
How can I lead better?
How can I scale bigger?
How can I empower more?

But maybe the better questions are these:

What’s the why behind the vision I stand for?
Who am I being in the pursuit of it?

You don’t need all the answers to move forward.
You just need to be willing to show up—honestly, authentically, as you.

That alone creates permission.
That alone creates ripple effects.
That alone helps others grow, too.

TRY THIS TODAY:

Write a short “I’m proud of me because…” list from Q1.

Big wins, small wins, habits kept, lessons learned, boundaries honored, courage shown.
Celebrate it. Savor it. Share it with someone who sees you or pat yourself on the back.

I'd love to hear:
What’s one win you’re celebrating from Q1?

Reply and share with me. I read every email.

Here’s your reminder:
You are not behind.
You are becoming.
And I’m cheering you on every step of the way.

With love + liberation,

❤️Mandy

P.S. I made a quarterly reflection guide for you, reply to this email saying ‘ Reflect’ and I’ll send it to you.