Take the Leap
A native American grandfather was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty in the world and how it comes about. He said it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was understanding and kind.
Today we are living through a strong narrative of what is NOT WORKING. The pandemic, an on-going war and, this week, the fall of a 167-year-old investment bank. It’s so easy to be ‘hooked’ by this narrative and go down a negative spiral. Its so easy to not try anything new, to remain ‘safe’, and continue to be ‘stuck’.
How about doing the exact opposite?
‘Taking the Leap’, - our theme for this year at Thrive with Mentoring is all about getting unstuck.
In 2017, as a high skilled immigrant, I took the leap and created this platform to offer the magic of women to women mentoring. There was no strategy, no three-year plan. Just a heartfelt desire to share the benefits that I had experienced when I needed it most.
Did I have doubts about initiating Thrive? Certainly. At that time, there were at least 20 women's groups, some that were decades old, in Zurich. But I took the leap. Because I firmly believed in the idea and in the power of mentoring.
Today, 5 years later and after catalysing thousands of mentoring relationships in 10 diverse cultures on 4 continents, we can confidently say that – Women to Women mentoring is magical.
And now it’s time to give a platform to many such stories of ‘Taking the Leap’. Stories of how one lived with the discomfort, felt the fear, shrugged off the longing for certainty and security, chose to become “unstuck``and finally took the leap.
Now you might wonder - How do we let go of our feelings of fear, vulnerability, shame, and guilt? Yes, mentoring remains key. And it is just as important to listening to stories of others who have taken the leap. When we hear how someone ‘just like us’, overcame their fears and took the leap, we realize we can do it too.
So, if you are feeling a bit ‘stuck’ or may be a bit ‘blah’, it’s time to TAKE THE LEAP. Thrive with Mentoring offers various channels through which you are invited to share your stories.
Here are the 3 main ways in which we propose to do this in 2023 and beyond:
Lightning Talks at the Thrive Awards on 10th June 2023. For more information click here.
‘Take the Leap’ Podcast that I plan to host to keep bring you these courageous stories to a global audience.
Articles in the Thrive On quarterly magazine and on our social media channels.
And of course, thousands of conversations that will happen in the Thrive community during the mentoring and group sessions.
I am so enthused by what we are co-creating and can’t wait to hear your stories. Of small and big fears. And small and big leaps.
Because each of them matters.
Lots of Love
Shivangi Walke
Founder, Thrive with Mentoring
