'Anything is possible': The mantras of local boss ladies

Photo credit: Marten Bjork on Unsplash

I am a breast cancer survivor and my mantra played a pivotal role in my outlook for life. My mantra—“What is the message and how can I grow from here?”—helped me leave my victim mentality and, through the challenging moments, find a way to learn and grow as a person. It helped me to be present and appreciate and enjoy things that many of us take for granted.

In these past 15 years life has brought many challenges and my mantra has come to mind over and over again. It gives me magic-like powers—specifically, the ability to move forward with clarity and focus. For this blog post, I asked a group of incredible women from diverse backgrounds and professions about the role of mantras when it comes to achieving their goals. 

All of them are amazing members of my Miami community and, coincidentally, they all, indeed, have positive affirmations that shift their perspectives in challenging moments. Their affirmations have become powerful tools for them to realize goals.

María Celeste Arrarás

For award-winning journalist María Celeste Arrarás, for instance, who trained for Olympic swimming growing up, her mantra was, “Don’t think, just jump!” It’s what her dad would tell her when she used to train in freezing water. This mantra not only helped her face overwhelming challenges, but also helped her confront fear to overcome a difficult situations.

As she shared with me, “The first time I had be on television my heart was pounding like a locomotive. I was so nervous that I thought it was going to come out of my chest. So, I confronted the moment as if I was jumping in a familiar pool. I took a deep breath and went for it!”

Adriana Cisneros

For Adriana Cisneros, the CEO of Cisneros, the mantra is “Life changes, and with change comes an opportunity to either accelerate, pause or reconsider what matters today or next year.” This gives her flexibility, if something is not working out, the idea of alternative routes is always possible—after all, we live in a world that it is always changing. 

Eva Hughes

For Eva Hughes, the founder of Adira Consulting, it is about having the courage, motivation and focus to see the reality of situations—and not basing decisions on “stuck” feelings. Her self-talk reflects her mantras: “Be specific, be realistic, have achievable objectives, put them in writing, be positive, create a strategy, have flexibility, be accountable, and manage expectations.”

Sarah Harrleson

For Sarah Harrelson, the editor of Cultured Magazine, her mindset and hard work is what propels her to pursue her vision—and she is always going for amazing things! Her vision and her emotional attachment are key drivers for her success. Her mantra manifests itself through her work: “I think I have a specific mindset that is about hard work and constant pressure.”

Silvia Tcherassi

This mindset is similar to Silvia Tcherassi’s, the CEO of the eponymous fashion label. Her mantra is, “Trabajar, trabajar, trabajar!”—in English, “Work, work, work!”’ For her, realizing goals is about having discipline, perseverance, and setting up priorities that serve her grand vision, her dream. She wakes up every day with that perspective and she substantiates her dream through her work.

Kinga Lampert

For Kinga Lampert, the co-chair of the Board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, her mantra is “If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never the goal.” Kinga is always a “glass half full” person, an optimist by nature. She tends to find a silver lining in most situations. Because she believes in her ability to rise to challenges, it’s harder for her to get thrown off course. “Obstacles tend to fuel my motivation and creativity as opposed to discouraging me,” she says.  

Edie Rodriguez

For Edie Rodriguez, a cruise industry executive, one of her favorite mantras—one of her “Edie’isms”— is “It is better to dare to fail, than to fail to dare.” This daring mindset is based on the power of positivity and optimism. It’s the “fuel” for success, in her opinion. “As to how I realize my goals, [it’s based on] how I choose to live my life.” On top of her courage, her emotional attachment to her goal propels as well. “I realize my goals first by setting goals based on the things that I am passionate about. Passion to me drives everything.”

Angela Maria Tafur

For Angela Maria Tafur, the president and co-founder of Give to Colombia, she believes in walking the talk with determination and perseverance. Her mantra is “You are not beaten until you give up!” For her, it is about not giving up—a melding together of determination, discipline and perseverance. This is the key of her success.

Susanne Birbragher

For Susanne Birbragher, the founder and CEO Liasons Corporation, her mantra is “Never be afraid to set high goals!” She also takes the time to pause and meditate—she has a morning routine that paves the path of her day. “Having a morning routine and waking up early helps me clear my mind and know what my day is going to look like. My morning routine includes making tea, taking vitamins—yoga, meditation, prayers.”

Veronica Cervera

For Veronica Cervera, the CEO of Cervera Real Estate, her mantra is “You can and will find a way of getting it done! Be positive—and relentless!” With discipline and a positive mindset, don’t be afraid of failure or of winning! As I know her, she is a very self-disciplined person and always drives in the direction to  be the very best.

Lisa Kaplin

For certified professional life coach and phycologist Lisa Kaplin, the motto is “All is well.” These three words offer comfort and remind her that she will figure things out—she always does.  This last aspect, which hints of resilience, is important to her. It gives her the confidence that things will work out, somehow.

Magde Lopez

Last, but certainly not least, is Magda Lopez, the master life coach and president of Atrevete LLC, whose mantra is simply “Anything is possible.” When she visualizes, Magda says she can accomplish her goals—and she embraces the hunt like a tiger in the jungle.

All of these successful women use mantras and positive self-talk to drive themselves toward their goals. This constructive inner dialogue not only gives them flexibility, open hearts and minds, but it also gives them the confidence to move forward with the suspicion—the belief—that things will work out.