Message from Grandmother Fa
WELCOME TO THIS MAGIC MONDAY MOMENT
Kicking off your week with some thoughts around a favorite Disney quote (because in my world - Disney is life!).
original message date: 09/21/26
Happy Monday!
My take on this week’s quote is a little different. I’m actually challenging it a bit. Let me set the stage.
In Disney’s 1998 animated feature, Mulan, right before Grandmother Fa blindly steps into a chaotic, busy intersection to test her new "lucky" cricket, she looks down at the cage and says to said cricket:
It’s a funny, chaotic movie moment. But in the real world, many of us carry that exact same mindset in different circumstances. As a matter of fact – this came up while coaching a client last week. She is holding onto a statement that was said to her by a previous employer many years ago – and now feels like she has to prove that they were wrong (even though ‘they’ are no longer in the picture). This not only leaves her in constant self-judgment but also keeps her feeling stuck.
No judgment – I know she is not alone.
When we do this, we view our situation as high-stakes where we constantly have to prove our worth, our competence, or our value to the people around us (and/or to ourselves)—often conforming to their definition of success.
I want to challenge that idea, because operating from a place of needing to "prove yourself" can actually be incredibly unhelpful. Here’s why:
It shifts your focus outward: It forces you to perform for an audience, trading your internal joy and values for a desperate need for external validation.
It turns mistakes into identity flaws: When you are trying to improve, a mistake is just a helpful lesson. But when you are trying to prove yourself, a mistake feels like definitive evidence that you aren't good enough.
The goalposts always move: Once you satisfy one critic or clear one hurdle, the pressure immediately shifts to the next one. This can result in ongoing anxiety and burnout.
Needing to prove yourself assumes you are starting at a deficit...that you are "not enough" until you earn your way up.
What if you don't have to prove anything to anyone? What if you are already enough?
No shade to Grandmother Fa – but let’s reframe her quote to: "This is your chance to know yourself."
That, to me, lands much better. Because every challenge you face or external noise you take on is simply an opportunity to learn who you are, discover what you're capable of, and connect with your inner strength. You don't have to prove anything to the world - you just get to uncover more of who you already are.
Name one thing you're trying to prove right now. Then reflect on these questions: Who am I proving this to? And is it their measure or mine? How can I shift to curiosity as a way to uncover more of who I am?
Wishing you a wonderful week. You've got this!
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