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Happy Sunday 👋🏾,

The last few weeks have been busy! Two weeks ago, we had our launch event with our partners at Oru Co-working Space. We’re thrilled Oru in Sutton will be the location for our next cohort for The Empower Me program. It’s a free six-week program, targeted at 17to 22-year-olds, running in the evenings from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. If you know any young people who could benefit, please send them this link to apply.

At the launch, I shared my documentary, and it dawned on me that I’ve only watched it about four or five times all the way through. Sitting there with everyone, watching it together, it hit me hard – not going to lie, it was emotional.

It took me back to some of the darkest moments in my life, and even though I made the documentary for that exact reason – to share my story in hopes that it might resonate with someone – it’s still tough to relive those experiences. But that’s the point. If it helps just one person, then it’s worth it.

A few people couldn’t make the launch, so we arranged a lunchtime screening for them. I wasn’t expecting many to turn up, but surprisingly, quite a few people showed up to watch it during their lunch break. After the screening, I had some powerful conversations that really reinforced the idea of how important it is to share your journey.

One member came up to me after, emotional, and said, “I watched your documentary during my lunch, and now I’ve got to go back to work, but I’m an emotional mess!” We had a great conversation, and she thanked me for sharing my story. She said it reminded her how little we often know about what people are going through.

Another co-worker came up to me and said, “Thank you for sharing the documentary. I’m going to message you later, but right now, I just need to take a moment to compose myself and digest.” True to her word, she did reach out later, and now she’s starting to share her own story. I don’t want to give too much away, as it’s not my story to tell, but it really showed me how powerful it can be to open up and share what you’re going through.

And then, on Friday, I was at the Google for Education event, and I kept getting comments from people I hadn’t seen in a while. They told me how much they appreciate my updates – whether it’s through this newsletter or on social media (I often think it’s just my mum who reads my newsletter, but it turns out people do actually read it!) – because I show up as my authentic self. That’s something I’ve always wrestled with. It hasn’t always been easy to show up as the real me, because I’ve worried about not being accepted. But as I get older, I’m more comfortable with who I am, and it’s honestly opened a lot of doors.

When I share my journey, no matter how difficult or vulnerable it feels, it’s not just about the dark times – it’s about showing the whole journey. Success doesn’t happen overnight. There are a lot of steps, setbacks, and growth along the way. For me, it’s about being real and showing that journey in all its stages.

We live in a world where we often feel the need to show a “perfect” version of ourselves – like everything is polished and flawless. But the truth is, there’s no filter for being yourself.

Don’t be afraid to share your journey because you are the author and director of your own story.

Quote of the Week

Have a great week!
​
Lawrence

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