The 8 Most Important Things We Learned From The Women Of She Talks Asia’s "Reframe" Summit

The past year has been tough for all of us. The pandemic has showed us just how much one person can really withstand, how much strength and resolve one needs in order to survive. Over the course of twelve months, we’ve all had to deal with challenges and difficulty in our own way, but we can all only handle so much. More than ever, we’re in need of reframing: not just toward ourselves, but toward our outlook in life as well.

Last Saturday, She Talks Asia held its annual summit; its 2021 edition was dubbed Reframe: Same Same But Different. The summit gathered STA’s co-founders—Sarah Meier-Heredia, Lynn Pinugu, Iza Calzado-Wintle, and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal—as well as empowered women in various fields for a day of recalibrating, reframing, and re-energizing. 

In the morning, Sarah Meier and K. Go did sessions on reconnecting one’s body, and Carelle Herrera and Sara Black led the attendees on how to retrain one’s mind. The afternoon was filled with discussions on owning one’s voice, embracing one’s value, and reframing one’s life, featuring speakers Ayn Bernos, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz and Marie Raymundo, and Dr. Joanna Herrera. 

It was the day we’ve been needing over the course of twelve months. Here are the eight most important things we learned from it:

You gotta hug yourself at least once every day. When was the last time you hugged yourself? Sarah Meier began the morning by asking everyone to put their left arm under their armpit, and wrap their other arm around themselves into a tight, full-body hug. It was the kickstart that the day needed. 

When in doubt, dance. There’s nothing dancing can’t fix. It’s an old, ancient tradition that has always helped reconnect and reorient individuals with themselves. If you’ve always been conscious about what you look like while dancing, K. Go has this to say: “It doesn’t matter how the dance looks; what matters is what the dance makes you feel.”   

Savor little achievements. In Carelle Herrera’s highly moving session, one thing stuck to me: “Savor little achievements,” she said. We’ve become so obsessed with looking for and chasing after our biggest dreams that we’ve forgotten that the little things matter, too.  

We’re body, mind, and spirit at all times. Sara Black’s meditation session was as healing as it was transformative. Sometimes, all we need is the quiet; sometimes, all we need is to listen to ourselves. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Using your voice properly is just as important as finding it. Ayn Bernos of Morena the Label joined STA co-founder Bianca in a discussion about owning one’s voice. They started by talking about how they first found theirs, the first time they got into trouble because of it, and what to do with it next, all the while sharing important tips and tools on how to make sure that your voice does more good than it does harm. 

It matters to know your worth. In Reese Fernandez-Ruiz and Marie Raymundo’s discussion, moderated by Lexi Schulze, the trio talked about how valuable it is to know one’s worth. They touched on topics ranging from the workplace, motherhood, everyday life, and more. 

Passion needs to be tethered by focus. For many people, especially the millennial generation, their reason for doing much of what they do all boils down to passion. But no matter what the movies tell us, sometimes that’s not enough. What’s important is that our passion is tethered by focus; that we’re not just blindly chasing after our passions. 

You don’t always have to thrive. The most important thing we learned, or at least got reminded of, is that it’s okay not to thrive, especially during a pandemic. We’ve become so accustomed to comparing ourselves to others and watching other people’s achievements throughout the pandemic. It’s important to remember that we don’t have to be as productive as everyone else we see. We’re living in a pandemic, times are tough, and we’re doing our very best to survive. 

Lead photo from @shetalksasia