Rare moments that exhibit true unity in championing each other, deeply impact and inspire me. Recently, the moment a lot of us got to witness was at the Oscars as Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande powerfully declared that together they were unlimited was one of those life-changing moments for me.
With raw power and unshakable grace, they brought Defying Gravity to life in a way that left the audience spellbound. As Cynthia’s commanding vocals soared through the theater, Ariana stood by her side, eyes glistening with pride, sealing the moment with a tender kiss on Cynthia’s hand, and visibly showed they were united in destiny. The energy, the emotion, the sheer talent—this was more than a performance, it was a statement.
A statement that should be what we all strive for and champion in each other. There was no evidence of ego or vying for more of the limelight, they allowed each other to soar and shine. That to me, is the greatest gift you could give to someone.
Moments like this fuel my passion to champion the beautiful Diamonds we serve, to let them know they truly are unlimited, and they deserve the chance to fly. Just like a butterfly emerging from the cocoon that has kept them confined, we get to watch the metamorphosis of our Diamonds doing the hard work to break free and learn to fly.
The lyrics to “Defying Gravity” depict the passion we must champion in our Diamonds.
“Unlimited Together, we're unlimited. Something has changed within me.Something is not the sameI'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game;
It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap;
I'm through accepting limits'Cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change, but 'til I try, I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of Losing love, I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost; And you can't pull me down
Unlimited
Together, we're unlimited There's no fight we cannot win.
Everyone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo At least I'm flying free
And nobody….Is ever gonna bring me down!”
It is indeed an honor to champion the potential in those we serve to experience the chance to fly and defy the limitations that have tried to keep them bound.
de·fy (verb) – to boldly resist, to refuse to be limited, to rise beyond expectations.
Defy! Not letting anyone dictate who you are and your incredible potential.
Defy! Soar high and nobody can ever bring you down.
Defy! Together we are unlimited.
Cynthia Ervio, if there were ever a living, breathing definition of “defying,” it would be you.
You defy limitations with your voice, expectations with your fearlessness, and boundaries in telling our stories in ways we didn’t know they needed to be told. You didn’t ask permission to soar—you just flew. And we’re just grateful to be along for the flight. Thank you for a glimpse of unlimited grace and powerful encouragement that we can extend to others.
History isn’t written in hardware—it’s written in the hearts we touch, the lives we inspire, and the dreams we make possible for the next one.
Comments