Hey Reader,

I watched Eurovision this week, of course I did, so sad for Cyprus and Belgium whomp whomp, and I once again I was fully invested. I sent my friend James a play by play one word (or sentence review) of some of the acts, it's a whole thing.

Yes, I love the outfits and the drama and the inevitable key change at minute two… but mostly I love the energy. Because it’s the most unapologetically extra event on earth.

No one’s asking for permission. No one’s asking, “Am I ready?” They decide they are.

And it reminded me so much of a conversation I was part of on Wednesday, during a brilliant session about what’s now being called the trust recession, this idea that, culturally, we’re experiencing a crisis in trust. Trust in systems, in brands, in information… but also, and perhaps most importantly, trust in ourselves.

The conversation circled back, as it often does, to authority. Not the loud, shouty kind. But the internal kind. The “I know who I am and I back it” kind. The kind you don’t wait to be handed, because no one’s handing it out.

And that’s been sitting with me ever since.

Because the truth is, most of us are waiting. Waiting to be picked. Waiting to be validated. Waiting to feel legitimate. Waiting for someone to say, “Yes, you’re allowed.”

But authority doesn’t work like that, does it?

The people who walk out onto the Eurovision stage in rhinestone bodysuits and full confidence aren’t waiting to be called “artists”, because they already are. They declare it. They move like it. And it’s not just theatre, it’s presence. It’s ownership.

That’s the piece I keep coming back to in my own work and life lately, the quiet power of simply deciding that I’m in charge here. Not in a hustle-y, overcompensating way. But in a deep, steady knowing kind of way.

Because when you move like that, like you trust yourself, everything else shifts. How you plan. How you speak. How you show up. And yes, even how you structure your days.

That’s why I create tools like the ones I create in Dream Dashboards. Not just so your systems are pretty (though… let’s be real, they are). But so you can build a life that reflects someone who knows where they’re going.

Someone who doesn’t wait to be crowned, they’ve already stepped into their role.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. If you’ve been feeling that wobble lately, that urge to shrink a little, to hold off, maybe this is your nudge back to your own authority.

You don’t need to go full glitterball (unless you want to). You just need to back yourself. Loudly. Unapologetically. Without waiting.

If this stirred something for you, I’d love to hear it. Just hit reply and tell me: Where have you been waiting for someone else to say “you’re ready”? And what might shift if you said it yourself?

Sending you big main-character energy today. Oh and if you want my one word reviews for the semi final acts just let me know and I'll send them over lols.

Speak soon

Zoë