The Power to Choose: From Picking Myself Up to Lifting Myself Higher
On grief, the pause, and the quiet choice to begin again — a reflection on learning as both courage and consent.
"The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice. — Brian Herbert"
This quote was shared a few weeks back by two outstanding co-founders and coaches at the Sandown Business School, Richella Boggan and Pheona Croom-Johnson, as our cohort embarked upon a seven-month-long journey to acquire one or more international coaching certifications.
As I reflect on my first month in this program, I cannot help but think how powerful this quote is — not just in coaching, but in life. In coaching, we start with the premise and profound belief that every client is inherently resourceful, whole, and capable of achieving what they set out to do. Our role as coaches is simply to support them in unlocking their inner power.
Reclaiming my power to choose
But this quote also reminded me that the power to act is mine, and mine alone.
I am the one who chooses to learn. I am the one who puts in the work to grow. I am the one who decides how to spend my time and energy. I am the one who is grateful for the gift of this capacity to learn.
That realization is liberating — because once I fully own my choices, my mind stops searching for excuses to stay still. It simply says, "Let's do this." And no one, and nothing, can stop me in my pursuits unless I give them that power.
When life brings you to a pause
Learning is often romanticized as a lifelong journey, but what truly defines it is not just our ability to absorb knowledge — it's our willingness to evolve. Over the past few weeks, I've come to realize that learning is both an act of courage and a conscious choice — one that often emerges in life's most uncertain chapters.
The past year has been the hardest of my life. Losing my father to late-stage liver cancer changed everything. Even before he left us, I found myself asking — what do I truly want from life? What excites me to approach each day with energy and purpose? What are my goals, and what am I doing to achieve them? I realized I was coming up short in many ways.
So I paused. I stepped away from work. I grieved. I recuperated. I reflected. I paused to think about who I am and who I want to be, about where I am and where I want to be, about how I am and how I want to feel.
From picking myself up to lifting myself higher
And then, I picked myself up — to start fresh and venture into uncharted waters. And slowly, before I knew it, I began to lift myself higher — by choosing this journey of self-exploration, by choosing growth, by choosing learning, by choosing me.
The path that I have chosen stitches together my knowledge, my passion, my past experiences, my wisdoms, and my aspirations for the future. Hopefully, my choice will help me become a better version of myself in my personal and professional life; serve others in a holistic way — supporting them to explore their potential and tap into their inherent power; and live a life of profound impact.
Embracing the unknown with purpose
Do I know what the future holds? None of us do — that is what makes it exciting and exhilarating. But we can choose our present. And that choice — to learn, to grow, to evolve — is what defines us.
As I move forward on this journey, I carry with me the quiet yet powerful reminder that growth is never accidental — it is chosen, nurtured, and embraced. Whether through joy or pain, learning remains life's most generous gift, one that continues to unfold each time we say yes to ourselves and the possibilities within us.
"What's one choice you've made recently that's helped you grow?"