(I always stumble on this question).
I secretly want to say, “Well amiga, I believe it’s my duty and mission to ‘DO’ various things.”
“I was born with two innate gifts: A Passion for Progress --- and Putting Other People at Ease. Soul searching for a while, at first I couldn't discover the source of my passion. I just knew that every single day, I hoped to make a real difference. For awhile, I struggled to be different, as I strived to feel truly alive for the first time. I now realize that my old world was so small! And the more I explored my options --- the bigger my world became! I had finally realized that I wanted a new kind of attention. I was craving for people to look at me seriously --- then do a double take! I wanted to stand out --- and be taken seriously. I also wanted to interact and identify with everyone in every room I entered --- on a deeper level. I realized that I really wanted them to recognize and respect me for who I am.
My JOY is in My Journey, not just My Destination. This is proof of my InnerChica™️ at work. - Morgan Tyner
The Promise: A Necessary Prelude to The 7 Steps
THE PROMISE. I will never stop jumping into my new ChicaDream™ with both feet. Furthermore, I will never stop steadily pursuing my own, unique ChicaDream™️. Third, I will never stop fighting for my absolute right and obligation to vividly express my own Personality, Creativity and Ingenuity in my own Entrepreneurial work. In so doing, I will harness and nourish my InnerChica™️ so as to fully achieve my ChicaDream™️.
Everybody wants to fit in. There's an undeniable pressure to be considered “normal” in our society. Too often, families devaluate their ancestral Heritage. By doing this, they intend to better assimilate into their chosen culture by purposely hiding their original cultural identity in the process. Remember: We should never be ashamed of our former culture, because it makes us unique and strong in the here and now. I've witnessed this very denial within the Chilean cultural mixture of my own family. Familial aspects of my Chilean heritage had long been the glue that had held us together across the generations. Yet, the vital commitment of spending time together somehow disintegrated --- like mist in the morning --- within the cultural composition of our transplanted family. So, the key to ChicaConfidence™️ is incorporating our unique Heritage directly into our Business Model, Products, Practices, and ChicaValues™.
"I’m on the road to the Michigan Zoo, a ten-year-old nervously riding with my cousin to meet his girlfriend for the very first time. I'm secretly hoping that I won't be an annoying “third-wheel” today. So, my cousin pulls up in her driveway. (I'm so scared, but I'm trying not to show it). Andrea walks out --- she's a mysterious, yet happy & beautiful young Chilean. I instantly feel comfortable --- like I've known her for years. I love Putting People at Ease, so I decide to try to make Andrea feel comfortable by telling her the only Spanish story I know. I excitedly begin reciting this story, passed down from my teacher. So I proudly proclaim:
One day in our small village, a hungry young man realized his intense hunger, and set out to get an apple. Cautiously arriving at the market, he spied the juicy, golden apples on the grocer's cart --- then quickly glanced to see if the old man was watching. But he was in luck. The vendor was temporarily distracted by another customer. So, the young man seized the golden opportunity --- and the golden apple. As the thief made his speedy getaway, the merchant cried out, 'Policia, policia!' Unseen by the thief, a nearby officer took off in pursuit, but the young man disappeared quickly into the crowded village. Undaunted, the officer chases him through the thick brush, crowded streets, and vacant houses --- only to lose him. But, the officer was determined not give up. Steadily, he searched . . . and searched . . . and searched . . . and found the thief. Caught & ashamed, he bowed his head and prepared himself for punishment. But, the officer had yet another surprise in store for him.
"Why did you do this?'"
"Because I was hungry.'"
"Don't you know that it's wrong to steal. You're dishonoring your family - and dishonoring yourself."
"You're right. I should have bought the apple, not stolen it. But, I didn't have any money."
"Then come with me."
The officer ominously headed back toward the market. The thief --- in despair --- thought he was going to jail. But the thief was astounded when the officer drug him straight back to the old man. Startled, the old man angrily exclaimed to the officer,
"Why did you bring this scoundrel back to me?!" "Take him to jail!"
But the officer replied,
"I've got a better idea. This young man stole because he was hungry and had no job or money to buy the apple. But you also have a need to have someone lift your crates and deliver your groceries. Why not forgive him and give him a job?"
Both the young man and the merchant were still in shock. But their faces turned from frowns to smiles --- when they realized the wisdom of the officer's insight. And so, the young man was changed forever --- and so was the merchant.
A Chica™ cannot deal efficiently with her family, outside world, and future until she first comes to terms with who she really is. Our family, our world, and our future all emerge from our Heritage. Together with culture, they mold and shape our InnerChica™️.
Click Here: To Mold Your InnerChica™!It was my junior year in high school. I was getting off the plane in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. For ten whole days I would be on my first - ever mission trip with my friends. I was excited; scared; I did not know what to expect. So, we journey up the mountains to where we'll be staying. We finally arrive --- exhausted & exhilarated --- at the top of a mountain capped by the village housing center. Next morning, we rose up and began building them a brand new church --- brick by brick. In sweltering heat, we worked hard alongside happy, grateful Hondurans who were so proud to help build up their own village. Chatting with other Hondurans, I began to realize that my Spanish was embarrassingly rusty. So, why do I not speak Spanish more often at home?
The Unpleasant Answer: sometimes I feel embarrassed, confused, & insecure.
Later that day, we returned to the village housing center. So, I'm in the kitchen, watching a Honduran wife lovingly prepare a delicious, traditional Honduran meal. So, I decided to help her out in the kitchen. Smiling, she thanks me excitedly. But, she only speaks a bit of English. So, she must've recognized who I am (and my fear of speaking Spanish). Then she tells me something that would shape my future forever. She wisely stated, “Your voice is a gift. Never be ashamed of who you are. There is always room to flourish."
After returning home, this Honduran woman’s voice kept re-playing in my mind. So I made the life-changing choice to major in Spanish in college. Reflecting on my Chica Heritage ™️, I became innately more aware of it, but was still not fully sure what it exactly meant. I had been ignited with a fire to discover all of who I am --- and in the process, I became empowered as a Woman in who that Chica™️ is.
>>> Can I be a mother and a Chica™️ at the same time? Yes!
>>> Can I be an Entrepreneur and a Chica™️ at the same time? Yes!
>>> Can I graduate with a Spanish & Communications degree? Yes!
>>> Can get a good job that I love right out of college? Yes!
Dreams do become a reality . . . but . . .
dreams get pursued and ultimately fulfilled one step at a time.
So, I started out working for two years after college at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee where I worked one on one with hundreds of Spanish-speaking children, parents, and family members --- all to gain valuable experience in my chosen field. So, here I am now with a better grasp on Spanish both linguistically & professionally than ever before. All of a sudden, everything began to get clearer for me. My first job (and the one that followed) were necessary prequels. First, I had to figure out my InnerChica™️. Then I had to identify The 7 Steps to Harnessing My Inner Chica. Now I realized what I had found: My True Path to Living My ChicaDream™️.
"I’m looking forward to meeting up with a female native Spanish interpreter at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She and I both attend the same church and have an amazing mutual connection. Our mutual love for Spanish, common struggle to find our ChicaVoice™️ and desire to help others is brilliantly evident. I admire her. She is already on the path of leadership, devotion, and fulfillment as a Chica™️. I wonder how I will ever get on this same path. So, she meets me for the lunch in the cafeteria at the hospital, all bright & smiling. I begin asking her questions about her passions, why she chose interpreting, and any advice she has to help me harness my InnerChica™️. Then, she makes it very clear that I must find my own path and that no one’s path is exactly the same as another. Someone else's journey can certainly inspire, ignite, and encourage our own --- but ultimately it is each of our individual responsibilities to discover our Inner Chica™️.
Suddenly, she mentions my blog --- imagine my thrill and surprise! My blog at this time was strictly a place for me to write, share my experiences, and encourage others. It was simply an outlet for me. I had never considered this as a possible entrepreneurial venture before. I needed to really hear my friend's positive feedback in order to gain the courage to step out on my own as a ChicaEntrepreneur™️. When she referenced an expert posting from my blog and told me how much it meant to her and inspired her, I felt on top of the world! It had suddenly dawned on me:
I share this because you must come to terms with yourself and recognize that you have a choice. After my meeting with my interpreter friend --- my ambition to create my own Chica Path ™️ was planted. So, I decided to come to discover what it truly meant for me to be fully Chica™️ in my professional life.
But being fully Chica™️ goes far beyond society's current, feministic idea of being fully woman. It's about more than merely reclaiming your lost heritage --- it's about reclaiming your true self and moving forward ChicaConfidently™️ with it.
This experience with Andrea was just such an aha moment for me. Another part of being a true Chica™️ is setting my own ChicaGoals™️ by identifying my personal ChicaValues™️, uniquely Chica™️ yet exclusively mine. So,
First, Rank YOUR ChicaValues™️ that YOU listed. Then, see what values are really most important to YOU. Now, begin to formulate the practical contents of YOUR Life Plan, to go with YOUR CoreChicaValues™️. Finally, write down step-by-step exactly how YOU envision YOUR future success. So, what does YOUR true success look like, now? What's changed? What's not? Now you've discovered the roots that nourish your InnerChica™️.
"I finally came to terms with my ChicaReality™️ that working at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was not where I was meant to work anymore. Nor was it who I --- as a ChicaProfessional™️ --- was ultimately meant to be. So, leaving was an extremely hard decision, but a truly necessary one to achieve my ChicaDream™️. My last day came --- and out the corporate door I went. A couple weeks later --- I got married to my Dream Man! This was a glorious and peaceful time; I didn't regret a thing. I already had lined up a post-honeymoon position to start a new job at a local insurance agency in Memphis, Tennessee --- after returning from my honeymoon. My new employer was planning to expand his company's reach to the Latin market in Greater Memphis Area. Hearing this, I was so thrilled to take advantage of the opportunity. I eagerly applied my language skills, heritage, and passion to connect Memphians of Latin descent with the insurance they coverage they might need. But sadly, I soon came to realize that this job also could not satisfy my InnerChica™️, either.
"A few weeks after starting my insurance job in Memphis, Tennessee — I had felt this unwavering, gut-feeling sensation that I had made a BIG mistake. Now, I was bored, stir crazy, and de-motivated. My new role simply wasn't ME. I could do it, it simply wasn't ME. My newlywed husband John could already sense the unfulfilled-sensation consuming me --- without me having to uttering a single word. So, that evening . . . at my wits end, I took pen to paper and wrote out my Own Values (sound familiar?). I quickly realized that the ChicaValues™️ I had listed did not really match up with what my life actually looked like. . .
It had a dilemma.
It was time for authentic honesty.
I had some serious decisions to make --- now.
Self-awareness is YOUR KEY to evaluating YOUR CoreChicaValues™️ and to determining whether or not they truly align with YOUR actual life. That's why fully developing YOUR New Life from YOUR CoreChicaValues™️ is the most important experience to liberating yourself from YOUR Old Life. So, you CAN break free from your Old Life Box and you CAN free YOUR InnerChica ™️, heritage, culture, personality & all. Your InnerChica™️ is now truly unleashed.
So, what specific Roadblocks can be removed from my life?
How long will it take to remove my Roadblocks?
What Resources will I need to remove my Roadblocks?
Identify your Three Types of Roadblocks — relational, material, & technical — that are holding you back from living out your CoreChicaValues™️ to the fullest!
"Sunday came. I was anxious, but had made a ChicaStrongChoice ™️.
Now it was time to truly align my Real Life with my Core Chica Values ™️. So with my husband’s support, I resolutely call my boss and ask him to meet me. This was important. Surprisingly, he agreed. The meeting started. Immediately, I owned up to him about why I had to resign from the Agency. Confronting him was challenging, scary ---- yet empowering and necessary. I was kinda proud of myself. I had finally taken charge of my own life! A ChicaStrongChoice™️ had made all the difference in my life.
"For too long I had assumed that working for someone else (just to get by?) was perfectly normal. Everybody does it, right? But down deep, I knew within myself that this was no way to live my best ChicaLife™️. That non-directive life would never be fully aligned with my CoreChicaValues™️ . . ."
Culture is like a tattoo. It's distinctive and easy to put on . . . but also difficult to change. Yes, it might be safer to not rock the boat. But, that's not who you really are! Your InnerChica ™️ craves challenge, opportunity, and achievement. But, this will not happen without a complete and total change in the practical way you live Your Life. So, You MUST be willing to change --- change YOUR environment, change YOUR habits, change YOUR mindset --- IF you are to become a true ChicaEntrepreneur™️.
Remember . . .there's NO shortcuts to lasting ChicaSuccess™️.
"I was sooo ready to proudly announce my exciting upcoming plans! Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered with a smile, hearing the encouraging, kind, successful voice of my Mentor. But, before I could even speak, my Mentor stunned me into silence with a very simple yet profound question:
Undaunted, I boldly stated my three goals on my own terms. . .
As time passed by, I was compelled by circumstance to take on learning challenges that seemed overwhelming. I learned that we only grow when we commit ourselves unflinchingly to life-long learning and the willingness to take on any challenge. So, developing my own blogging business was a truly tremendous ChicaFeeling™️. Yet along with the exhilaration of success . . . comes major tests just around the corner. I myself experienced the pushback from others in my life who simply did not want to understand why I left my perfectly stable job to blindly pursue my own ChicaBlog Dream™️. Nevertheless, I have continued to journey with joy down my true ChicaPath™️.
So, Chicaconfident.com has a deeper purpose underneath its virtual skin. That purpose is rooted in the following reality: We as Chicas™️ have become so busy being human doers, that we have forgotten how to simply be human beings.
Your ChicaVision™️ needs to say:
Where do you find your true comfort?
We've got you covered, Chica!