You know, sometimes I feel like a canary in a coal mine.
I grew up in an environment where sensitivity and empathy were not valued. Shamed.
But I’ve come to see it as the gift it truly is:
noticing problems before others, or being able to put them into words. I’ve also developed a lot of skills to cope with the rough tides of life.
The challenge for me is always that there are things I need to do even if I don’t feel well, if my heart is heavy. So that is part of why I am feeling so drawn to hosting free coworks on Youtube lately.
We get more done by creating a dedicated space to do work together, whether it is creative work like writing, or more analytical like planning what to do next.
I also can share things with you that help me to stay focused and resilient during these sessions. Helpful exercises that we do together, as well as inspiration to remind you of everything that is good.
I saw a quote recently that you can see the darkness in the world, but look, don’t stare. That’s the reminder for me today.
We also have to celebrate the small victories and wins, like that last week my community and I raised $420 for charity to send a woman in Sierra Leone, named Ismatu to college!
We haven’t raised the full amount, but we met our first goal to provide her with the supplies she needed to enter lab class: a gown, cap, shoes, gloves, etc. She is receiving the funds immediately so she can enter class and not get too far behind on her microbiology degree.
WE DID THAT.
I think it is so important to celebrate that.
We have to celebrate every small victory and keep our eyes on the future, on what we are creating, on what we want to see.
AND to remember how many other people there are who care. The amount we raised was mostly small contributions around $30 each. Many of us came together to combine forces.
There are thousands, millions of us, maybe billions.
People whose hearts are full of love and caring and dedication to making this world better in some way.
And together I believe we can do that, if don’t sink too deeply into the feeling of powerlessness.
No matter what you fear or face, the person who holds the pen on the story of your life is yourself.
You can take your own power away, or you can give it back and decide how you want the ending to be. I truly believe that.
We don’t get to decide the times in which we live, only how we respond to them and what we do.
So these coworks are my way of giving to the community but also creating a rich environment to tap into all these juicy, positive feelings myself 🙂
If you want to get work done and feel more resilient so you can make your way forward with confidence in this strange and wacky world,
Remember — we all have a part to play in creating a better future. We all have a piece of the puzzle, my piece does not have to look like your piece.
But together we make up a harmonious whole.
I truly believe that each of us is here to play some sort of role, and fit into a larger effort to make the future something beautiful. We are all necessary.
I hope this success serves as inspiration.
It is possible to make a difference.
Wishing you peace.
Want more information about our fundraiser to help Ismatu go to college?
Below, I have a free resource to help you to set up your week right and make it a productive one.
But first, I really want to celebrate how far we have come since last week.
We raised $420 for charity to send Ismatu, a woman in Sierra Leone, to college!
This means that we met our short term goal to provide her with the supplies she needed to enter lab class: a gown, cap, shoes, gloves, etc. She is receiving the funds immediately so she can enter class and not get too far behind on her microbiology degree.
WE DID THAT.
I think it is so important to celebrate that.
Truly last week I was feeling very discouraged and despondent that we would not be able to help in time, but people stepped forward and we are where we need to be now to help her continue her education.
She has worked so hard, and her home is such a hard place for women, this is a light in the darkness for them. And for us!
Anyway — we all have a part to play in creating a better future. We all have a piece of the puzzle, my piece does not have to look like your piece.
But together we make up a harmonious whole.
I truly believe that each of us is here to play some sort of role, and fit into a larger effort to make the future something beautiful. We are all necessary.
I hope this success serves as inspiration for you to know that there is good happening, and it is possible to make a difference doing what you feel called to do.
Also — I would love to help you to start this week off right.
I just did a live cowork focused on setting yourself up for a powerful week where you move the needle on what matters most.
It’s free!
Watching the replay, you will get my guidance on how to start the week right.
When you watch you also help us to amplify word about our charity efforts as well as collect the rest of the fees needed for Ismatu’s college education.
This is a free chill hangout space to find your grounding, and work on your creative, growth or work project like journaling, writing, doing tasks or organizing your ideas.
And when you watch you are doing good: helping to raise a few hundred dollars in fees for a young woman in college.
She’s from a place in Sierra Leone, where only 10-20% can read, and only 1% of women graduate. This is a lifechanging way to support women to escape poverty, abuse and violence and get a good job and without the success of our fundraiser, she will have to drop out.
How much is it ? Free to attend! Free to support! Free to help!
Tips are welcome but no donation required. Everyone who joins us is helping us spread the word, and that alone is appreciated. Come do good with us!!
I am excited to be doing something new and I hope it takes off.
Maybe you can help?
I’m having trouble communicating with people to spread the word.
It’s hard to cut through the noise.
Here’s what I am doing:
Live Coworks for Charity
What is it?
This is a free chill hangout space to find your grounding, and work on your creative, growth or work project like journaling, writing, doing tasks or organizing your ideas.
And when you watch you are doing good:
helping to raise a few hundred dollars in fees for a young woman in college.
She’s from a place in Sierra Leone, where only 10-20% can read, and only 1% of women graduate.
This is a lifechanging way to support women to escape poverty, abuse and violence and get a good job and without the success of our fundraiser, she will have to drop out.
How much is it ? Free to attend! Free to support! Free to help!
Tips are welcome but no donation required. Everyone who joins us is helping us spread the word, and that alone is appreciated. Come do good with us!!
Make sure to hit the bell on Youtube not only subscribe to all my videos but get notified the next time we go live for a cowork session!
How to help?
Watching, liking, commenting or sharing with a friend help us to spread the world!
The Back story:
Right now social media platforms are changing like crazy and I’m pretty sure their algorithms all hate me (cries). Haha no just kidding…but maybe?
It’s bad timing because I have something important to say.
As you may know I work with a charity called Her Future Foundation to protect girls and women from FGM and human rights abuse in Sierra Leone.
I’ve personally given a lot of money to support them in recent months. Their founder was in the hospital last week, so we donated then and also in December and also in the fall…
So unfortunately when I got another request this week, I couldn’t donate all that much.
I think a lot of us are stretched thin right now.
Can you relate to that {{ subscriber.first_name }}?
But basically one of the young ladies I was able to help with a fundraiser last year needs help now.
Last year I rallied the community for her college fees so she could stay in college for one year.
I named Ismatu, “The Girl Wonder” because of her amazing skill at debating for women’s right to an education and against female genital mutiliation and inequality. She was a very brave teenage girl advocating for women’s rights out of sheer passion.
Raising the money for her college fees last year was something amazing we as a community did in 24 hours in 2024,
but it’s just not the same situation this year, this week. Given the LA fires and so much else.
Ismatu is now entering her second year and needs $380 USD ASAP to pay for equipment for her microbiology lab class. This science track will ensure she has a job after college. Good news – we have $80 including some left from our December fundraiser,
and just need $300 more.
So solution time…
I wanted to think of a way to invite more people into this movement to change her life.
Even people who cannot donate right now could be a part of the movement to just help spread the word.
So that’s when I got the idea for Cowork for Charity because
not only can we build community to achieve our personal goals and make progress on things important to us,
but we can also use our hangout time as a vehicle to keep spreading the word about Ismatu until hopefully we find enough people to help Ismatu not only get her lab equipment but also eventually pay for her next year of college.
Anyone watching the youtube video, liking, sharing it, commenting, will help us spread the word even if you can’t give funds!
Good news, my friend Ariefa, the founder of Her Future Foundation has recovered a lot from the scary health situation last week. Yay!! Thanks for the good vibes everyone!
And I got something exciting in the mail.
I have been waiting for it for several weeks–
Let me back up to it’s significance.
Last year I wrote about my journey to be more motivated.
I started out 2024 feeling really stuck. Losing my dad was really hard on me and it took years to find my mojo,
but finally I got a clue.
I learned motivation was something I have to work at
-unmotivated or overwhelmed in the face of your challenges
The Optimism program is designed specifically for you to gain the resilience, hope and drive you need to climb out of difficult situations.
✅ Feel Lighter & Stronger:
Feel more optimism and hope despite facing real challenges with a 1 hour class on somatic tools to sooth and shift your emotions.
✅ Clarity on What to Do Next:
Feel more alive and motivated on a regular basis by writing in the 28 page printable Workbook & discover what to tweak in your life to be more optimistic.
✅ Long Term Optimism Transformation:
Follow the step-by-step process through thick and thin to increase your long-term optimism by following the instructions sent by email over 30 days (that you can turn on or off anytime).
Do You Want Help Writing for Your Book or Business?
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💥 Only 1 spot available in the Rapid Progress 2-Month Program!
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You can accomplish a lot, without burning out or having a life that sucks.
The Rapid Progress 2-Month Program Includes:
✅ Clarity & Prioritization: Sort through ideas with me so you always know what to focus on next
✅ Weekly Feedback: Check-in with Sofia via voicenote or email—no live calls required!
✅ Editing Support: Submit up to 6 pages of your writing per week for feedback
🎁 Bonuses: Get access to the Optimism Challenge E-course + 2 months of the Video Vault packed with resources to support your business and writing goals.
“Sofia masterfully guided me to tune into my own wisdom to discover what my business was telling me. It was such a unique and empowering experience. Sofia’s approach is unique and highly effective.” Keasha Lee Ince, Striking Statements
…
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great week.
If you don’t feel safe having your writing out there in the broader world right now, that is okay and there are a few simple solutions.
Because keeping your thoughts private has seemingly fallen out of vogue as a legitimate life choice, let me remind you of your options and also assure you that,
And if you are not a member yet
yes, contrary to how you might feel or what other people may suggest, it is totally a legit option to seek safety for your words, thoughts, and writing if you need or want it.
You can be a human or a professional and utilize these tools.
And if you need any more help to be more optimistic in the New Year, my optimism program is still on sale!
🦋 💜 🌿 Are you feeling
-anxious or hopeless,
-discouraged about the future,
-unmotivated or overwhelmed in the face of your challenges
The Optimism program is designed specifically for you to gain the resilience, hope and drive you need to climb out of difficult situations.
✅ Feel Lighter & Stronger:
Feel more optimism and hope despite facing real challenges with a 1 hour class on somatic tools to sooth and shift your emotions.
✅ Clarity on What to Do Next:
Feel more alive and motivated on a regular basis by writing in the 28 page printable Workbook & discover what to tweak in your life to be more optimistic.
✅ Long Term Optimism Transformation:
Follow the step-by-step process through thick and thin to increase your long-term optimism by following the instructions sent by email over 30 days (that you can turn on or off anytime).
Next week on Jan 6 + 9, we start our live classes and coworks to organize your ideas and writing in the Club.
So don’t miss out if you can’t find your ideas or forget your goals 2 weeks after the New Year…
Now Back to my important message for the NEW YEAR:
We all are thinking of the future now and I’ll share this in case it helps someone else:
Sometimes it is hard for me to be positive about it. That’s just a fact.
That discouragement is something I’ve really been working through in 2024.
I’ve been through some really tough challenges.
What I’velearned this year is that even though it is correct that bad things happen, it isn’t always mentally healthy to fixate on that.
Optimism has a place.
But how can you be positive when you’ve seen bad things happen or have very real risks of more bad things happening in the future?
Here are my thoughts on it.
When life gets you down it is easy to give up. Don’t. I’ve been around the block and have some advice to give that will lift you up. And I want to share the biggest mistake people make in dealing with stressful or difficult situations, and what to do instead.
And if you need any more help to be more optimistic in the New Year, my optimism program is still on sale!
🦋 💜 🌿 Are you feeling
-anxious or hopeless,
-discouraged about the future,
-unmotivated or overwhelmed in the face of your challenges
The Optimism program is designed specifically for you to gain the resilience, hope and drive you need to climb out of difficult situations.
✅ Feel Lighter & Stronger:
Feel more optimism and hope despite facing real challenges with a 1 hour class on somatic tools to sooth and shift your emotions.
✅ Clarity on What to Do Next:
Feel more alive and motivated on a regular basis by writing in the 28 page printable Workbook & discover what to tweak in your life to be more optimistic.
✅ Long Term Optimism Transformation:
Follow the step-by-step process through thick and thin to increase your long-term optimism by following the instructions sent by email over 30 days (that you can turn on or off anytime).
And don’t forget the Digital Organization Club starts soon as well!
Sale ends on Sunday
I used to have trouble finding things, and using my ideas.
Now I know where everything is and it has changed my life.
In the last few years I used this organization system to:
-publish 25+ articles in 6 months.
-sell out multiple writing groups in my business.
-improve my health, financial, and personal joy.
Truly, being organized did so much more than just help me reach my potential professionally, it has been a huge book to my mental health.
Getting organized so I could find my ideas better helped me make faster progress on goals in all areas of life.
And once I’m on a roll seeing changes in my life happen, it is so much easier to feel positive about the future in general.
How did I do it? I will show you: Learn how to use the system I created to organize all my ideas, goals and documents, using free applications in the upcoming 3 month Digital Organization program. Not just a class, it is also a cowork, We will work through it and get organized together:
I had a busy last week, and did a lot of cleaning.
It was my husband’s birthday so I wanted to throw him a party. Nothing makes us clean like knowing company is coming over.
Today I wanted to let you know I’ve opened the curtains to show you a peak of my private digital space: my writing archive.
This is where I personally keep all my notes, ideas, and drafts of all my writing from beginning to end.
Why is this system important?
Finding things:
I have stacks of notebooks from writing over the years. Paper has limits, I cannot find things I wrote after a few months.
I was really tired of having ideas fall through the cracks so I found a digital system to supplement paper. And now I can find my ideas much better.
Peace of Mind:
Knowing I can find things again really helps with my anxiety. You have no idea how much I hate that “it’s all sliding into the cracks” feeling of being scattered all over the place.
And I hate opening a journal only to see great ideas I did nothing with for years. I have a lot less of that now.
Confidence:
I’ve had a lot of writing published across the web but I was stuck on this hamster wheel of feeling like I wasn’t doing enough. It wasn’t until I brought all my writing into my own private database and started weaving connections between all my documents did I really feel it:
the click of feeling like I am my most genius self, creating brilliant material.
I really want this feeling for everyone which is why I am passionate about sharing what is working for me. Everyone deserves to feel like their ideas are valuable and make the most use out of them.
Backups:
So many times in my life I have published writing on a platform only for it to go out of style or change. I’ve lost a lot of writing this way and been daunted by the process of extracting it all off of that platform.
Now when I write, I immediately make a copy of the final result and put it in my archive so I am always covered with a backup. It’s a great and sound practice to have.
Developing & or re-using ideas:
Ideas can always be improved, the key is not to forget them. If you keep them in mind, you can develop them over time. And when you have a good idea, don’t forget about it, keep sharing about it!
Having everything I have written and all my ideas easy to find means that good ideas get even better over time as I continue to develop them. It also means that the things I am passionate about are easier to reshare and republish in new ways.
There’s no reason why your best gold should go forgotten after sharing your ideas once. With organization it’s now easier to get the most out of every idea: squeeze every drop out of the orange.
I could go on and on in this vein.
But I’ll just pop in my new video and SHOW you:
I made this behind the scenes tour into my writing archive.
This is just a peak. The whole thing has over 3000 documents. But it’s organized so I can easily navigate around it to find what I need.
The holidays will be beginning soon in my house soon!
Do you have a holiday? What will you be doing? My goal is to do a lot of house reorganizing and go through my notes and ideas on my computer, which is a satisfying and cozy activity I enjoy.
I like making connections in my archive, going through old journals and digitizing things. Writing new things to add to my ideas. Put things in order. It feels good. This weekend I was building out a mindmap of relevant documents and ideas to review the past year, 2024.
Mindmaps are a great way to make connects even if your brain is a little tired or jumbled.
I put pictures below!
When I zoom out it’s an outline of all the documents in the mindmap, but then you can zoom in to see the notes in detail.
I walk you through how to make these maps in the Digital Organization Club and you can get the replays as a bonus if you join.
Below I also share the early bird 40% off sale for the Winter Digital Organization Club for the Jan-March months.
If you want to join me in this cozy sort of activity come join the Club to get started right away! Happy holidays 🎄🌲❄️☃️
Here’s a zoomed out version of a map I made to review the year
each square represents one of my notes
If you like this behind the scenes peak…
there’s more coming!
I will share more peaks into my digital archive, where I keep most of my notes and ideas!
You can learn how to make maps like these in the Dig Org Club, below!
What about you?
Do you have a lot of ideas or journals to organize?
Get instant access to these bonus classes when you sign up: – 12 bonus videos on Organizing Ideas with Obsidian – 6 bonus videos on Project Management with Notion – Digital Organization Templates
You can get started organizing your ideas right away!
Plus: -3 MONTHS ACCESS TO SOFIA Ask your questions on audio, video, text messages or email, and
get answers from Sofia between sessions.
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