You Are Allowed to Be Proud of Yourself

 

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to downplay our wins.

We learned to say “It was nothing” instead of “I worked hard for this.”
We learned to keep moving instead of pausing.
We learned that pride could look like arrogance, and that humility meant shrinking.

Let this be your reminder: you are allowed to be proud of yourself.

Pride Is Not Arrogance

Being proud of yourself doesn’t mean you think you’re better than others. It means you recognize your effort, your growth, and your resilience. It means you acknowledge what it took to get here ... the late nights, the 80-hour workweeks, the uncomfortable conversations, the moments you wanted to quit but didn’t.

Healthy pride is grounded.
It’s honest.
It’s earned.

Growth Deserves Recognition

So often, we only celebrate big milestones: the promotion, the finished goal, the visible success. But growth usually happens quietly.

It happens when:

• You set a boundary you used to avoid

• You chose rest instead of burnout

• You spoke kindly to yourself on a hard day

• You tried again after failing

Those moments matter. They count. And they deserve recognition ... especially from you.

You Don’t Need Permission (But Here It Is Anyway)

If no one has told you lately, let this be the moment you hear it:

• You don’t need to wait until everything is perfect.
• You don’t need to minimize your progress because someone else is further along.
• You don’t need external validation to honor your journey.

You are allowed to be proud of who you are becoming, not just what you’ve achieved.

A Simple Practice

Today, pause and ask yourself:

• What have I done recently that took courage?

• Where have I grown, even if it was uncomfortable?

• What am I proud of that I haven’t acknowledged yet?

Write it down. Say it out loud. Let it land.

Because pride, when rooted in self-respect, fuels confidence ... not complacency.

Final Reminder

You are allowed to be proud of yourself.
Not someday.
Not when you’ve done “more.”
Right Now.

And sometimes, that reminder is exactly what keeps us going.

Keep going lovelies, you got this. 

-srt

How to Write a Strong Problem Statement

Let’s be honest: most of us love solutions. We love brainstorming fixes, rolling up our sleeves, and diving in. But here’s the problem: if we don’t take the time to define the actual problem, we end up throwing energy (and sometimes money) at the wrong thing.

It’s like treating a headache with new shoes. Sure, they look good, but you still have a headache.

That’s why writing a strong problem statement is one of the most important skills you can learn in business and in life.

Why Bother With a Problem Statement?

Think of a problem statement as your GPS. Without it, you might still get somewhere, but probably not where you intended. With it, you save time, avoid frustration, and keep everyone on the same road.

A clear problem statement:

• Gets everyone on the same page (no more arguing about what we’re really solving).

• Prevents “solution-hopping” (jumping to shiny fixes that don’t stick).

• Makes your case stronger when you need buy-in.

The Secret Recipe: 5 Ingredients

Writing one isn’t rocket science, it’s more like following a simple recipe. 

Here are the five ingredients you need:

1. Background/Context – Why does this matter right now?

2. The Problem – What’s the real gap or challenge?

3. Impact – Who’s affected, and how?

4. Evidence/Data – Prove it. Don’t just “feel” it.

5. Desired State – Paint a picture of success (without sneaking in the solution).

Here’s the difference it makes:

Weak version: “Our onboarding process stinks.”
Strong version: “In the last year, new hire retention dropped from 90% to 70%. Exit interviews show that unclear role expectations during onboarding are leaving people disengaged. This costs us time, money, and morale. The goal is an onboarding experience where new employees feel confident and retention returns to 90% or higher.”

The second one? That’s the kind of clarity that makes people lean forward and say, “Okay, now we can fix this.”

Don’t Fall Into These Traps

Some common traps (that I’ve seen more times than I can count):

• Too fuzzy, too tiny. Don’t be vague, but don’t zoom in so much you miss the bigger picture.

• Jumping to solutions. We all love playing fixer, but remember—this step is about defining the “what,” not the “how.”

• No receipts. Back it up with data. Without evidence, your problem statement is just a complaint.

Putting It Into Practice

In my workshops, I have people rewrite weak statements, practice with real scenarios, and critique each other’s drafts. At first, it feels awkward (like learning to dance), but then it clicks. Before long, you’ll catch yourself saying, “Wait, what’s the actual problem here?” and everyone will thank you for it.

The Bottom Line

A strong problem statement sets the stage for everything else. It saves time, builds alignment, and leads to stronger solutions.

Happy Thursday lovelies,

-srt

P.S. And here’s the good news: you don’t have to figure this out alone. At Rea Coaching and Consulting, I’ll show you how to write problem statements that actually move the needle. So ... are you ready to stop solving the wrong problems? Reach out today. Let’s get it right the first time.

Thank You MLK Jr

Thank you.

Thank you for your courage when silence was safer, for your faith in love when hatred was loud, and for your unwavering commitment to justice when justice was costly. Your life reminds us that moral courage is not found in comfort, but in conviction.

You taught us that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” a truth that still echoes in a world wrestling with inequality, division, and indifference. You warned us that “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” Those words continue to challenge each generation to speak, act, and stand.

You showed us that leadership rooted in love is not weakness, but strength. When you said, “darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,” you offered humanity a higher path that remains urgently needed today.

Your dream was not naive. It was visionary. A dream where people are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. A dream that still calls us to do the hard work of building equity, dignity, and belonging through systems, policies, and everyday choices.

You reminded us that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” while also reminding us that it does not bend on its own. It bends because people like you, and those you inspired, were willing to push, sacrifice, and persist.

Thank you for showing us that faith and action belong together, that love is a discipline, and that hope is a responsibility. Your legacy lives on every time someone chooses courage over comfort, truth over convenience, and love over fear.

With gratitude and resolve,

Me - A girl you taught how to dream BIG

Your Success Doesn’t Have to Look Like Everyone Else’s

Somewhere along the way, many of us quietly absorbed the idea that success follows a single, well defined path.

Graduate by a certain age.
Climb the ladder at the right pace.
Hit the milestones everyone applauds.
Keep moving, even when it doesn’t feel aligned.

And when our journey doesn’t match that picture, doubt creeps in.

But here is the reminder we all need to hear again and again.

Your success doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s.

The Pressure to Conform

Social media, professional circles, and even well meaning advice can make it seem like there is a universal timeline or formula. When your path looks different, slower, faster, more winding, or more creative, it is easy to wonder if you are doing something wrong.

You are not.

Different does not mean delayed.
Different does not mean behind.
Different does not mean unsuccessful.

It simply means intentional.

Stay the Course

Staying the course does not always feel glamorous. Sometimes it looks like choosing sustainability over burnout, saying no to opportunities that do not align, taking a pause when everyone else seems to be rushing, or building something meaningful behind the scenes.

Progress is not always loud or visible. Some of the most powerful growth happens when no one is watching.

Trust the work you are doing. Trust the clarity you are building. Trust the version of success you are creating.

Define Your Own Path

When you define success for yourself, everything shifts.

Success might look like freedom instead of titles, alignment instead of approval, impact instead of income alone, or peace instead of constant pressure.

Your values, seasons, and priorities matter. What fulfills someone else may not fulfill you, and that is not only okay, it is necessary.

A Gentle Reminder

If you have been questioning your pace, your direction, or your decisions, let this be your permission slip.

You do not have to chase someone else’s version of enough.
You do not have to rush your becoming.
You do not have to explain a path that feels right to you.

I believe success is personal, evolving, and deeply human. And you are allowed to build it in a way that truly reflects you.

Stay the course. Define your own path. Your success is valid exactly as it is.

Happy Thursday,

-srt

Getting to the Root Cause with the Five Whys

When challenges arise in business, or life, it’s tempting to address the symptoms instead of the actual cause. But without uncovering what’s truly driving the problem, the same issue often resurfaces. That’s where the Five Whys Analysis comes in.

This simple yet powerful method helps us dig beneath the surface and get to the root cause of any challenge.

What is the Five Whys Analysis?

The Five Whys is a problem-solving tool that involves asking “Why?” repeatedly, typically five times, until the underlying cause of an issue is revealed. 

The number five isn’t a hard rule; sometimes you’ll get there in three, other times it may take more. The goal is persistence in questioning until you move past symptoms and into causes.

Why Use It?

• Clarity: It cuts through noise to uncover the heart of the issue.

• Simplicity: No complex tools required—just curiosity and honest questioning.

• Prevention: By solving the real problem, you prevent it from recurring.

• Collaboration: Encourages teams to think together and challenge assumptions.

When to Use It

• Persistent operational issues

• Customer complaints or service breakdowns

• Team conflicts or recurring miscommunications

• Any situation where the same problem keeps resurfacing

How to Use It

1. State the problem clearly.
   Example: “The client didn’t receive their report on time.”

2. Ask Why.
   Why didn’t they receive it on time? → Because the analyst delivered it late.

3. Ask Why again.
   Why was the analyst late? → Because they were waiting for data from another team.

4. Keep going.
   Why was that team delayed? → Because they didn’t have clear deadlines.

5. Dig deeper.
   Why weren’t deadlines clear? → Because no standard process was in place.

By the fifth why, you’ve shifted from blaming individuals to identifying a process gap ... something you can actually fix.

Key Tips

• Stay focused on facts, not opinions.

• Avoid turning the exercise into blame. The point is improvement, not fault-finding.

• Be flexible—the root cause may appear before or after the fifth question.

Final Thoughts

The Five Whys is deceptively simple, but its impact is profound. By asking the right questions, you build clarity, improve processes, and create more sustainable results.

Happy Thursday Lovelies,

-srt

P.S. If you’d like support in applying tools like the Five Whys in your business or leadership journey, I’d love to help. Reach out to me at Rea Coaching & Consulting (stacyreathomas@gmail.com).  Together, we can get to the root and build from there.