Disney Princess is sponsoring my trip to #WeAllGrow Summit as Elayna Fernandez' Bestie. All views and opinions are my own.

I was overwhelmed with joy when I found out that Elayna was chosen as one of the #WeAllGrow Latina Storytellers, Sponsored by Disney Princess #DreamBigPrincess. I was honored when Elayna chose me to go with her as her bestie. The magic of dreaming big!

The 6 story tellers found the courage to face their individual adversities. Their stories showed how their inner princess shinned to show how their dreams were possible to achieve.

When Elayna told me that she was selected as Mulan, I couldn’t think of any better princess that her strength represented.

Being  Elaynas’ friend, I’ve had the privilege to hear her story. Yet, seeing her strength to stand on stage and tell her story was something that I admire from her. 

Within Elaynas’ struggles and pain, she had the courage to stand and fight for her daughters and for herself.

Mulan had to find her inner warrior in order for her to go through war and protect those she loved. With Mulan having to pose as a soldier, she had to find her voice to stand for what she believed in.

Mulan had to be fearless to be herself. Through some of her hardest trials, she kept going and did’t give up. Even when it was expected for her to be silent for being a girl. 

Everything that Mulan accomplished, was done by her thinking out of the box and following her heart. 

Elayna being raised in poverty and constantly being put down; she had to find her own voice and worth. Her desire to grow began by a simple magazine of children having books and being happy.

Although she had to face many more adversities as she followed her heart, she was able to create that dream for her beautiful daughters.

“I realized all along that I didn’t have that childhood, because that vision was for them.” ~Elayna Fernandez

Those words alone were so powerful. For me, a mother of 5 daughters, those words meant so much to me.

With tears in my eyes, her story on that stage was inspiring. It was inspiring to believe in who you are meant to be.

We can be told over and over on who we should be. Don’t give up on you dreams, soon our reflection will show who we are. 

The Flower That Blooms in Adversity is the Most Rare and Beautiful of All

Elayna has been a proof as she has blossomed to be an amazing woman through her adversities.

• Find the magic within your surrounding. Those small things that we can find gratitude in, can also become our moment of inspiration to make a change.
• Have a vision and work to achieve it. Within that work, you can have downfalls but, the secret is to keep going and never give up.
• Summon your inner warrior and know that anything you set your mind to is possible.
• When you dream big, you give yourself permission to be bold, to go beyond your circumstances and out of your comfort zone.
• Have the courage to be who you are.

Please don’t only take my word for it. You can watch her inspiring story in the video below.