Permission to Live the Future Now
Leading with Courage Workshop Recap
Last Saturday, my mom and I cohosted the first of four monthly online gatherings for women leaders. Each workshop has a theme and a visualisation exercise, but as we learned from our first workshops in March, it’s the conversations that hold all the juice.
We visualised what our street would look like 100 years from now, if we got everything right. Sustainability and equity, totally sorted.
This is what people saw:
No cars.
Intergenerational activities.
Community gardens and solar panels.
Food forests.
Trees everywhere.
This is what people heard:
Children’s laughter.
Birds—so many birds.
And for the second time since March, someone mentioned that the place they are right now is what they wish for the whole world in 100 years: being surrounded by Nature, having local food, and a group of supportive people and loved ones.
We asked ourselves if these visions hinted at something we’ve been waiting for permission to do—permission from our organisations or ourselves; and when we should ask for forgiveness instead of permission to do the right thing, or if we don’t need permission at all.
Then, one participant shared how her vision felt: she felt relaxed, she felt no fear, and her heart was at peace.
Immediately, another participant chimed in: “Thank you so much for saying that! I was struggling to find the words to express what I felt.” Her vision had given her permission to live in the now—to stop fearing what the future will be if she doesn’t do ‘x’ or ‘y’ thing.
That mindset shift frees us to live the future we want, right now, which is critical to creating it. Sustainability and regenerative businesses and lifestyles are not one-off, single solutions: they are a practice, something we do and learn and adapt, every day.
This is why my coaching model always starts with Reflect. That’s how you set yourself up for success; by examining assumptions and fears (which destroys their power over you), and recognising your values and goals.
It’s so much easier to lead with courage when you’re on that solid footing, because courage comes from within.
This is why I love facilitating women's spaces. These insights, these shared moments of recognition — they're so beautiful and authentic that I'm often holding back tears of joy. This is the future I want to create. And in these gatherings, it's also the future I'm already living: one where women support women in building something beautiful.
After the hour ended, a few of us stayed on to chat for almost another 30 minutes. The energy was electric, book recommendations were flying, and it felt like a little community was already building.
I hope you can join us at any of our future gatherings. They are always free and, so far, always inspiring.
Learn more about the next three themes (June, July, and August) andregister herefor one or all gatherings. Always the second Saturday of the month, 9:00 Los Angeles / 17:00 London.