I read a founder’s success story that began… “I am one generation removed from illiteracy”.
I took a moment to pause. I found myself feeling an unsettling mix of awe and fear and I’ve been thinking about why that is…
I too am one generation removed from illiteracy. I came to the UK as an asylum-seeker, a daughter of South Sudanese refugees who fled their home looking for a better life.
They raised me to value and pursue education, but in many ways, I felt abandoned and left to find my way in public schools and communities that didn’t mirror that same aspiration and stewardship.
At many points in my young adult life, I yearned for guidance and empowerment. I was instead met with doubt and discouragement – in the community, the education institutions and later in the workplace.
“Are you sure you are comfortable doing Maths at A-Level?”
“Won’t Economics be a tough subject at university?”
“You didn’t really work for X big company, did you?”
I had to look inwards to avoid succumbing to low expectations and to move beyond internalised doubt. For the most part, I cultivated ways to do this, but I was largely driven by fear. Fear of financial insecurity. Fear that I would fail my parents, who had suffered greatly to bring us here. Fear that as an immigrant, I would waste my ‘lucky’ opportunity.
Though I am in awe of how far I’ve come (my family too), the truth is that unpacking and transforming negative beliefs is difficult and it takes time.
Over the years, my biggest resource has been delving into humanistic psychology to better understand my thoughts and realise my ambitions. But I see more and more that there’s only so much that can be achieved alone.
In an ideal world, I would have loved to have a coach to support me in my seasons of growth, because the value of having someone to challenge and champion you is unmatched, especially when few spaces for mentoring and guidance exist.
These experiences are at the heart of why I’ve invested in transformative coaching training. I’m excited to support others with coaching on their journey. I am excited to continue growing too!