Kondwera: When the sunrise reminds us of new possibilities, and a song, that we’re Unbreakable.

When I was a little girl, my mum would play her wonderfully eclectic mix of music: everything from The Beatles and Bob Marley to Beethoven and Dolly Parton. One of my favorite memories is her taking both my hands, smiling warmly, and saying, “I want you to not just listen to this next song, but to feel it too. What do the lyrics say to you? What is the music telling you in the background? Let it move you!”

She moved our furniture and then we lay side by side on our hardwood floor, holding hands, eyes closed, just as she suggested. I remember sneaking a peek at her. She had that beautiful smile on her face, as she lost herself in the music. Her hand was gently wrapped around mine, bringing me along with her. That day, she taught me to be still, to enjoy the little moments, and to allow the deeper complexities of things to come forward. It’s a lesson that I apply to my work and my life today.

And it’s is no wonder I grew up with a deep appreciation for music and art.

I woke up this morning to a breathtaking San Jose sunrise and a distant view of the mountains: an inspiring way to start Day 1 of LeapCon2025.

Mickey Guyton’s “Unbreakable” was playing in my mind, and honestly, I couldn’t think of a more fitting soundtrack.

If you know me, you know that, aside from my collection of random Star Trek facts, I always seem to have the right song on my mind for the moment.

This morning’s song framed my mindset for the day and was on theme for the day filled with hearing from incredible and resilient people! I wrote about navigating uncertainty yesterday, I want to leave you with these powerful lyrics from Ms. Guyton:

“… But when the going gets tough, the tough start swinging.

The storm picks up, the strong just lean in.

The road gets rough, we say bring it on.

Let it all crash in, let it all come down.

Take your shot world, what you got?

We’ll just keep picking ourselves up off the ground.

Sometimes we gotta burn to learn that there’s a fire in us all.

It’s gonna hurt, but sometimes we gotta fall to find out we’re UNBREAKABLE.”

I shared a version of this on my LinkedIn.