Episode #6: What Are the Signs God Is Calling Me to Something Greater? - Faith and Growth Podcast

I always thought that my identity was just teaching and that that's it, that's all I was going to be known for. And coaching provided me this, the perspective that I have value and all my experiences have value. I want everyone to know about God, and I want everyone to know that you can access that God within, because that's lived in me my whole life. But I never knew what that was. And now I do. I know that he's there and he's talking all the time.

Good morning, sunshine. Welcome to the Faith and Growth podcast, the space where psychology and spirituality come together to help you rise into the person you were created to be. If you're ready to stop playing small and start living the life God designed.

For you, I got you.

I'm Dr. Betsi Guerra, psychotherapist, speaker, and author, and I'm here to help you heal, rise, and walk boldly in your purpose. So if you're ready to do that, let's get started. What if the life you built was beautiful but not quite aligned anymore? Like there was room for more? Today I'm talking with Cynthia Gonzalez about the brave, vulnerable process of stepping away from what was familiar, to step into her purpose. If you've ever wondered, is God asking me for more? This episode is for you. Cynthia Gonzalez is a woman who leads with heart. She spent years in education pouring into students and families, and then God invited her into something new. Today, she's sharing how she made the leap from teacher to coach back to the school system in a very special way, and what it's taught her about trust, purpose, and walking in obedience. Help me welcome the one and only Cynthia Gonzalez.

Thank you for having me, Betsy. What a nice intro. I loved it.

Welcome.

It's nice to hear that from your perspective. So thank you for having me. I'm super excited to be here.

I'm excited you're here, Cynthia, because you are the person in my life who has bought everything I've ever offered.

Yes, I have. And I still will. If I have.

When the student becomes the master, that's saying I feel like that's you. I feel like you left me in the dust. And now and I watch you, and I witness you blossom and just share your gifts and rise. And it's just. I'm odd. I'm awed by you.

Thank you.

I wanted people to get to know you, people to maybe there are people who are in the same position you once were. You were happy. You were content with your life. You were doing good work, and then suddenly you were pulled for More, not intentionally. And it's been a process of surrender, a process of saying yes. So can you tell us a little bit about your story?

Well, so you want to go from the beginning, whatever you did? August 22nd, 1983. No, just kidding. So really, truly my life, my faith life started. I was thinking about this earlier today, but my first Holy Communion, I think it's when a seed was planted in my heart to be a woman of service and a woman of faith. Even though I didn't know it yet, I just. I remember receiving one of the gifts that I received, or two in particular, were a little communion book that has the order of the Mass and it has the prayers and then a little Precious Moments Bible. And in it there's parables of Jesus Christ and there's stories, and I always read the book. And when I was little, I would sit and do the Mass. I was the priest at home, and I would do the Mass. And on top of that, my family faced a lot of adversity throughout my life. There was tragedy in my past, and. And my parents were young parents who were going through adversity one step at a time because we were so young. So everything was happening for them all at the same time. And I can remember vividly my father always coming home from work after a really hard day, sharing stories and sharing stories of his mother, who also went through lots of adversity and being a woman of faith and always going back to church. So that seed of service and that seed of faith was planted in me by the stories that he would tell, by the adversity I saw my parents go through, but by their immense faith and fast forward to getting married and having kids and being, you know, my career, being a teacher, it just flowed in organically and naturally. And I was a teacher in the classroom and in a Catholic school and everything I saw my dad ever get involved in, everything that he ever did, I wanted to do. Because when I watched him serve and when I watched him be a part of the church and do all the things that he was doing, what I witnessed was intense joy. Even though there was so much chaos in his life, what brought him calm in every storm was his service. And so I might get a little bit emotional because it's. It's that. That I test my faith to. That, you know, no matter what you're going through, what you need is to center, to source, to God. And, And. And that's changed my life in an immense way. But at the beginning, I didn't know, you know, little by little, I've gone understanding that. And a lot of that has to do with you, Betsy. A lot of that has to do with seeing you go through your adversity and being able to be happy and doing all the things that you do and all that I've learned from you. And so, yeah, that's me.

So you were a teacher, and you loved it, and you're really good at it. I've seen you in action, and there's something that I love about you tremendously, that I feel like our listeners should know, which is you have this, like, contagious energy and joy and Fun is your middle name. Like, whatever you do, you bring fun to it, and it's a very childlike fun. So. So you are. Your kids are attracted to you because you're one of them, just a little more mature and maybe, maybe kind of sort of.

So.

So if everything was great, why change it? My husband would say, why fix what's not broken? So can you tell us a little bit about what happened in your life that led you to where you're at today? And just tell us a little bit about that story as well.

So in my life, there were two big shifts, actually, and in one of them, I wasn't happy. And in one of them, which was my first job, I experienced lots of joy and lots of happiness. And I grew there from a little girl to a woman. I had my babies there. I got involved in the church there. My faith grew there, but at some point, it just wasn't doing it anymore. And I was coming home upset, and I was coming home miserable, and I was bringing home a lot of negative energy. And it was trailing into my personal life, my marriage, my motherhood. And it wasn't until one day, with my precious moments Bible that I received in my first holy communion, that I used to play this game. It's Bible bingo. I'm sure a lot of people know about Bible bingo, but Bible bingo is basically you put a question in your heart and you ask the question and open the Bible, and whatever the Bible says is God's answer to you. And I always tell the kids, because I do this till this day, nine times out of 10 or 10 times out of 10, there's an answer in there somewhere. And so this one day where I was not the best version of myself and just miserable and tired, and over being this upset, I decided, okay, I'm going to ask the question, God, what do I do? And my kid, my fifth graders were sitting right in front of me, and I opened that Bible. And it. And it was. It's precious moments. It's for like 7 to 10 year olds. So it's written in my language, my kid language, my. My little baby language. And it was the parable of Sarah and Lot. It was a story of Sarah and Lot who had to leave from one second to the other and never look back. But the way that it started was, what if God asked you to pick up everything that you have that you own, leave everyone you know and go somewhere else and start your life new somewhere else. And it was like an explosion in my heart. Like, okay, that was the first day that I was like, all right, God, I'm going to do this and I'm done not being happy. And I know that you can provide that joy. So within a few months, I took my kids out of the school who were there from when they were in pre K2 and registered them at another school and blindly left with no job in mind at all. And then I applied to charter schools because I was in a parochial school and. And the job that I get my first interview day walking in is. It's a charter school rented from an old Catholic school, so the church still exists. So when I'm walking in, it's a statue of the Virgin Mary. And I knew again in my heart that God was there guiding me in the direction that I needed to go. So it was almost like validation. Just trust me. Trust that I've got your back. So I worked there for that year, and that's the year Covid hit. And that's adversity. Covid was a huge hit to my career, most especially because the way that we're used to teaching was ripped away from us in an instant. So we had to reinvent the wheel. But even then, I was able to find excitement in doing it. I was able to connect with my kids and the parents were able to see how I connected with second graders, by the way. And it was no joke. And at the same time, we were remodeling a house. We were living in my in laws house. I love them very much. Pepito en ludes. I love you so. But we were there for 10 months and going through construction, which is also chaos. But through it all, I just felt held. I felt. I never felt desperation to go home. I never felt insecurity. I never felt. I just felt like God was guiding us in this direction and giving us great opportunities. And then lo and behold, the school where my kids were at offered me a position to teach first grade. So again, it was like I didn't ask for it. I wasn't looking for it. It was God just saying, here, this is for you. You go ahead, you do this. And so I started my adventure in this new school with new people and very scary, not knowing what to expect, bringing all my old stuff into this new place and having to start fresh, like my little precious moments Bible told me back when I was in the other school. So I did that. And the first year I was on a cloud, I just was so happy. And all I did was enjoy my kids, enjoy my students, and then get to know all the teachers that are there that I adore, that I love. And the school was just another place where I felt held and loved. And I did two extra years there. And then you asked me, Betsy, you called me and I had been working with you and talking with you and buying everything that you were selling. I did your date nights, I helped you with the kids, with the teens group. And you called me one night and you asked me, I'm doing this Coaching Academy, would you? And I didn't even let you finish the sentence. I said, yes, I want to. Because in my heart I also felt like there was like this fire, like there was just. I want to make a bigger impact. I want to do more. I want to share the world, what I know about God and how to trust God and what he can do for you. Even though we're all going through adversity, us moms are going through adversity, us families are going through adversity, we have a past that some of us have never looked at to say, to accept or to be able to understand. So I wanted to do that and you gave me the opportunity to do that. So in my full time job with my very, my new friend Nati, who I love and adore as well as my assistant, I was able to accomplish the Faith Based Coaching Academy. And that blew me away. Because the one most important thing that you taught me is in the faith Based Coaching Academy was about me. I got to know myself first and I got to accept myself and I got to see myself through your eyes, through your coaching and through our group. And I was able to be vulnerable and accepted and loved and held once again. So you showed me the face of Jesus. I say hands and feet. You always say the face. So I got that in the Faith based Coaching Academy.

Can you pause real quick? Can you tell them why you said that? Because I had never heard that expression before until I heard it from you.

So I've always said that my desire in life is to be the hands and feet of Christ so that everything that I do in life is with Jesus hands and feet, so that, you know, I'm always in alignment with him and always in center with him. I remember telling you that and you'd be like, oh, I've never heard that because you always say the face of Christ. But yeah, that was that. So, yeah, Coaching Academy taught me first about myself and, and like, I began to understand myself and understand that, you know, I was in poop for a while. I was sitting in poop. You have to explain why you're saying that.

It's out of context.

Yes, yes, yes. Well, you say that there's pain and suffering and that pain is like fertilizer. And you can either sit in fertilizer and like it and it's warm and it's delicious and it's yummy and you can stay there because it's what you know and you, you just don't know anything else, or you can choose to use your pain to fertilize you and grow. And. And I learned that through you. I learned to take everything that I had gone through, accept it, love it, own it, and know that I grew there.

Like.

So I used to look back at the place and be like, oh, I never want to go there again. Oh, I never want to see that place again. But now I look to that place and all the people.

Your old school.

My old school, and all the people that were a part of it. And I'm grateful. And not a lot of people can do that because there's, you know, things you hold on to. But I see that I needed that in order to be sitting here with you today. So, yeah, that faith based Coaching Academy did that to me the first time and then the second I learned that my was the second.

What? Explain to us.

Oh, I did the cohort two times, then three times and four times, and I missed this one because I was in obedience with God. But yeah, you allowed me to be a part of the second cohort and that was even a bigger gift from you. So you say I buy everything you sell, but it's like I feel selfish sometimes, like she's letting me do this. And because it's so much, it's priceless. What you offer to me is priceless. What you've given me in my family and my marriage most especially, it's priceless. So when you speak, I listen, because you are the face of Christ for me. And, And I don't know, it just feels super, not indebted to you, Just super connected with you. Like, if you understand, you understand what's in my heart. And, and I think that's why you and I get along so well. But yeah, I did the, the cohort the second time and I, I think selfishly it was like, I just want to meet all those people because the people that do join the faith based coaching academy are freaking awesome people. And then it just creates this community that you have. So I have my first cohort community, I have my second cohort community. And they've all their stories and all their growth. What you see them go from the beginning to the end, seeing their confidence build, seeing everything, it, like, blows you away. So you want to be a part of it again and again and again. And then the third cohorts the same thing. So it's been an amazing, amazing journey and it's taught me just to live in that surrender. You shared with us in the cohort, that sometimes we hold on to things, we want them super close to our heart and we don't want to let them go because they're ours and because we just know it. And that closes the door to receiving. And you've taught me to open my hands and to just allow for things to land in your lap and then let them go if they need to go and come back. And so just living in constant surrender, you've taught me that, and I've learned that from you.

Surrender. Surrender is a thing for me. It's a thing for me. We think that living in surrender means doing nothing and letting God do the thing. And living in surrender has a very proactive aspect to it because you live in surrender means that you live a guided life and that you act on what you're guided to. So you, when you were unhappy in that old job, you were, you surrendered and you said, like, okay, God, I'm done fighting with this thing and resisting it. I'm being angry at it and going home with negative energy. I'm going to surrender it to you literally. So can you tell me what to do? Sometimes it's not that fast and clear, right? Like, I always, I always wish God would be like, betsy, this is your next step. And it doesn't work out that way. So sometimes you open the Bible and Bible bingo. And it, you know, and it works, but most of the time it takes a minute. But it, I think the answer comes at the speed of surrender. Clarity shows up at the speed of surrender. I think the moment you surrender, the moment you say, okay, God, I'm listening, That's the moment that you receive the guidance. Not because that's when he gave it to you, but because when you were. It's when you were ready to receive it. The teacher appears when the student is ready. So tell us a little bit about that, that, that story of surrender and what guided action looked like for you.

The first time or the second time because. Or the third or the fourth or the third. Yeah, I know every day is surrender, but so the first time I surrendered and I was guided because it was like a definitive answer from that book. And I didn't doubt it. I trusted it the second time, which was my decision to leave the classroom two years ago.

But you haven't told us about that.

So I was year three of teaching at the new school where my kids were going, teaching fifth grade at this point and loving it. I had a teacher partner who her and I were inseparable and childlike together and silly and fun. And the kids were all having so much fun. So I had no reason to pick up and go. I actually felt really sad about letting that part go. And then I had my assistant who became my best friend and I, you know, everything was in line, but my heart wanted more. And my heart knew that it wasn't that I wanted more was God needed me to do something different. God needed me either to make a big, I don't know if it was make a bigger impact or be still or just like take in all that. I had accomplished that, you know, that far. And when I was at the tail end of my cohort of my experience in the faith based coaching academy, I don't even know what, I can't tell you like what moment it was, but it was just, I was able to make the decision without even thinking, just saying, I'm gonna do this, I'm going to pursue this coaching and I'm not going to look back and my husband, who's amazing and awesome and. Because when you live in surrender and you don't worry, you know that God is going to take care of you, abundance comes. And that's another thing I've learned from you. And so it wasn't fear of not having any money, it wasn't fear of taking this huge pay cut. It didn't have anything to do with that for me. It had to do with God's asking me to do something and I, and I need to answer that call. So when I tell him, he's like, all right, let's do this. So I told the school I wasn't coming back and, you know, the story I told myself was that they were going to be mad at me and that, you know, I was going to let everybody down. Because we do that, we tell ourselves stories and we give excuses so that we just stay put where we. Where we are, where we were, where it's comfortable. Yeah. And I didn't. I didn't let myself do that. And that provided and I did that. I. I was able to leave and. And leave with joy, leave with excitement. I donated all my stuff and I.

Said, all the teachers stuff.

All the teacher stuff. And I said, let's do this. And then I was able to have time. I was able to see my kids off to school in the morning. I. I was able to wave goodbye because my oldest was driving them to school. So I was able to experience what life was like without having to get to work and go and be in the hustle and bustle. Because, believe it or not, I worked with my kids, but I didn't see them half the time. They would go to their class and I would be in my classroom. And if there was an event, I had to be with my class. And they had, you know, they were in their classrooms with their friends, parents, but not with me. So I did it. And I was able to experience that. And I was able to be still, which is what, at the beginning, I think, is what God wanted me to do. So I was still. I learned how to make sourdough bread. I was able to serve by giving people free bread. Free sourdough bread.

You coached?

I coached. I did the cohort again. So I took private clients. Private clients. I coached kids. I had some teenagers. I had some fourth and fifth graders. I had parents. Parents. I had an older woman who was a challenge, but I loved her. I had couples. Yeah. I had a slew of clients that I learned from. Not going to lie. I was nervous every single time. But they also taught me a lot about the fact that I could. I could coach and I could at this point, do something different. See, I always thought that my identity was just teaching and that that's it, that's all I was going to be known for. And coaching provided me this. The perspective that I like. I have value, and all my experiences have value. One of the things that you talk about in the faith based coaching academy is that you're equipped to help the person that you once were.

You're most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.

And that resonated with me in a huge way because it validated my story. Again, you know, and so when you're sitting with a couple and you've gone through things that couples go through or marriages go through, now you can utilize those tools that you gave me and I can utilize them to help somebody else, which is what I think life is all about. I think that that's what God intends for all of us.

We are all coaches.

Exactly. And that's what you share with us in the faith based coaching category. So almost coaching is almost like empowering somebody to accept their story and then use it for the good of others, to use it to serve others. Which is ultimately what my, what I feel like my purpose is like use my gifts to serve others and, and make an impact in the world. Not for me, but for God.

If you're ready to step into your purpose and use your God given gifts to help others, today's your day. Next week we begin the Faith and Growth program and the Life Coach certification at the Faith Based Coaching Academy. And I don't want you to miss out on this big opportunity. This is what you've been praying for. This is what will help you step into your purpose and answer that question of what's next, God, what are you calling me to do? What's missing in my life? This is it. You're welcome. Please, please, please go to faith and growth.com and do not miss out opportunity to join us this semester. Now back to the episode. So where are you at right now? Well, before we go there, actually, I want to, I want to emphasize something that you said you felt called to be stayed. And stillness is a beautiful place where we get to connect in a special way with God because we're not busy like with our agenda. When you're still, you're letting go of your human thoughts to tap into your divine wisdom. So it's almost like you make room for the Holy Spirit to manifest himself in the form of wisdom and clarity. So being still is not about not doing anything. Being still is about proactively creating the space to connect, to connect with that divine wisdom. And for you, it looked like baking sourdough bread. Oh my gosh, my mouth waters just thinking about it. And, and it allowed you to just, just take care of that dough and, and the mother, just feed it and do all these things. And we get to take care of ourselves and water ourselves and feed ourselves. And in that stillness, there's a scripture I love and it's in Isaiah and it says, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord as the Heavens are higher than the earth. So are my thoughts and my ways above yours. And I love that scripture because not only because, okay, God's plan is different than ours, but rather because I believe wholeheartedly that when you be still, when you spend time in silence, solitude, and stillness, your thoughts become like one with God. God's thoughts become yours because you're no longer trying to control.

You're able to filter out your thoughts and let his come in.

The idea of stillness is almost like to gain clarity and be centered so that you may act in a guided way, so that you may act with intention and obey. And I must say, I'm probably going to say this in many podcasts, but because I learned it recently and I love it, I learned that everything we do, everything you do to be the hands and feet of God on Earth is based on gifts God's given you. So it's almost like you're returning that gift. You're glorifying him by using it in the service of others. But there's one gift that God cannot give us and that we get to give him, and that's the gift of obedience. The gift God gave us is free will. The gift we get to glorify him with is obedience, which looks like living the dreams God dreams for us, which are always going to be better than our own. So can you share a little bit? I know you went through that process of stillness. You were coaching, but you were. You were very present, listening, tuning in. I admire that so much. I remember witnessing you and being like, I want to be like her when I grow up. And then there was a time that you were, like, a little annoyed and frustrated, like, okay, I'm done with the bread. Like, can you just reveal it already? Tell me, where are you at now? Where were you guided to?

So in that time, believe it or not, being still was definitely difficult. I didn't mention that my husband had ruptured his Achilles, and we were going through that as well at the same time. So I was helping get him to back to normal, you know, healed. And there was a lot of adversity in that particular circumstance. But I was able to be still and make the bread because he was home sitting on the couch. So it was a really both. It was bittersweet.

It was really nice because your husband needed you there, not in school. Right. So having the space and the time that stillness allowed you to be there for your family.

Yeah. So I was making bread. I was delivering bread. I was getting in the car with six loaves of Bread and going to people's houses, and I would put a little Bible scripture on it and share with people that the process of making bread was beautiful because it's not just. It's not just a. You know, you pop it in the oven and it's done. It takes three days. It's, you know, one step at a time. You have to be patient. It's your. Sometimes your bread can go flat, and that's okay. It's still edible. You can still eat it, you know, and. And everyone that enjoyed the bread, I just love sitting back, and especially you, because you make noises when you eat. So I loved. I loved doing that. But then at some point, like you said, I. You know, I was like, I. Again, I felt like a call to do more, and. And I felt like maybe being home was limiting. You know, I felt a little limited in what I could do and in what I could offer. And I was doing the coaching academy with you as well, but I was feeling very shelled in and like something. I needed to just get out and do something more. So it seems like a whirlwind, and this has only been a matter of, like, three years. Everything has happened so fast, but so guided. And in the middle of being still, I got a phone call from one of the administrators at the school where I was working and where my kids go to school, and she said, hey. And I knew just by hearing her voice that she was going to offer me something. And there were plenty of teachers who were pregnant, so I knew that they needed some coverage. But she asked me to substitute middle school math, which, if we can go back in time, I was not the best math student. I sucked at math. But in my heart, like, there was a resounding yes, do it after many.

Nos, because many people had offered you positions as teacher.

Yes, but it was a resounding yes. And I felt like on fire to say yes, but I didn't say yes right away. And an old version of me would have been like, yes, because I don't want to say no so that she doesn't, you know, I don't get that mad or look bad in her eyes. This time. It was like, okay, maybe let me think about it. So I. I sat down for a few days with a paper and the pros and cons. And this created an issue in my house because my husband was dead set on that I was just gonna be home and be a housewife and June Cleaver, like he likes to call it, and. And I sat there and I looked at it and, and everything pointed towards, like, why not, why not take this, this opportunity to go and impact these kids? Because what's in my heart, and it's what you said, is that I have this childlike tendency. I have this ability to connect with kids that I know is a gift from God. I can be in a room full of adults, but there's kids there and it's not in a weird way, but I could play with them and I see them and I want them to feel the way that we should feel as adults about God. You know, like that childlike trust, that joy that you feel when you're little and your dad walks in or your mom walks in, or somebody that you love and admire walks in that you're like so excited to see them. And when I, when I'm with the kids, I can see that and I can experience that. Now I'm going into middle school math and as soon as some kids start finding out, I can hear that same excitement from them. Oh my God, she's coming back. It's gonna be so great. It's gonna be awesome. And so I go in and I do this job that is challenging because it's math. And I have to teach it to sixth, seventh and eighth graders. So it's not easy math. So I have to go and study and, and make sure that I cross my T's and dot my I's. But I experienced so much, so much like coaching in the process. Like I was a different version of myself. The woman who left two years ago was not the woman sitting in that classroom again. And I could see myself in a different way. I could see myself confident. I could see myself excited. I could see myself making sure that these kids felt that love, that face of Christ, the hands and feet of Christ. And then of course, I get another opportunity landing in my lap. And this one was definitive. Again, it was a no brainer. It was like, I have to do this. So they offered me to teach religion to seventh and eighth graders. And again, I didn't say yes right away because I wanted to make sure with, you know, God and his guidance and with myself that it was going to be the right decision. But everything about that is what I am all about.

Why?

Because I want everyone to know about God. And I want everyone to know that you can access that God within. Because that's lived in me my whole life. But I never knew what that was. And now I do. I know that he's there and he's talking all the time. And I would be Selfish to stay home and not share that with others, especially these kids. And my hope, my big hope is that those kids can impact their parents, Their parents who are my generation of parents who perhaps have forgotten that they have that childlike person inside of them, that that child still lives, and that our lives are so much better when we access that divine spirit that lives within us. And so, yeah, I will be teaching seventh and eighth grade back in the classroom next year, but with the caveat of, like, building something. My dream isn't to stay there. My dream is to make a bigger impact, but I'm letting God guide me. And I'm also preparing somewhat of a business on the side, you know, to bring. To bring fun and joy into these parochial schools who are, you know, we're stressed out and having to meet minutes and. And on deadlines, and, you know, everyone is in this state of adversity, and sometimes it's. Everything's happening so fast that you forget to tune in. So my hope is to give that to the kids, let it leak out to their parents, let it leak out to my colleagues and the people that I work with, and then eventually, like, keep going. So I don't know where God is taking me, but I know that I'm going to be obedient and that when he asks, the answer is a resounding yes. You know, after a little bit of.

Thought, I'm speaking to you, listening to me. Is your answer resounding? Yes. Cynthia, there's something that you have in mind that I believe wholeheartedly was divinely inspired. And although it's in the early stages of development, I think there's an opportunity to speak to school administrators, to school staff, parents, and everybody who is in that field, because I believe they will agree with you in that there's a need. There's a need to combine psychology and spirituality, which is what we talk about here, because the psychology part teaches us why we think, feel, and act the way that we do, or how you said it, and you had never told me that, so thank you. That was so beautiful how you said it. The coaching academy taught me about me. Psychology teaches kids, parents, administration about themselves. But then spirituality is okay, now that you know a little bit about you, let me tell you how you can surpass that. And it's. It's like, just transcend human potential. I always say that you cannot live your faith if you don't do the personal development work, because if you're a walking trigger, you're not going to be acting in a nice way. If you have a lot of anxiety, you're not, you know, you're not walking with faith. You're walking with fear. If you, if you have relational problems and resentments and unforgiveness, then, then you cannot be love. So if you don't do that work, you can't live your faith, but you can't do that work without faith. You need faith in God, but faith in yourself too. Faith in the process, faith in the people guiding you. So can you tell us a little bit about that vision so that those people who are listening can get excited about what's coming their way?

Yeah, it's a little scary to say it out loud because it's like you say it and then you kind of got to show up for it, which is fine because you have to do the hard stuff in life to be successful. You can't just sit on an idea and expect for it to happen. You got to, you got to act. And so my idea for administrators out there and schools out there is to help you. My goal is not to be a disservice or a time taker because that's what happens is all these extra things take time. But rather I want to bring electives, an electives based program into Catholic schools because it's one of the things that isn't readily available in the Catholic schools. Catholic schools will understand stream based electives so that instead of having a five day week of core classes, you have maybe a four day week and one day is a electives. And then that would give teachers an opportunity to make extra money because I would hire from within and that would give administrators the chance to make their schools more attractive, make their schools more fun. And it would take a lot of the pressure off the kids. They would leave with, you know, resources and they would be doing things that they enjoy like science, robotics, music. And then I could add the, the coaching aspect to it because I think while we have counselor counselors in schools, I think, you know, there's definite need for coaches. So those kids that just need to be motivated, they need to be encouraged. I can offer that because I've been there. I know I. That's where, that's my sweet spot. You know, as a teacher, there were many days where I'd throw out the book and then just ask them how they were doing. And those were the days where they learned the most, was the days where it wasn't about the subject, it was about, hey, what's going on with you? You know, sometimes that's all these kids need is most behavior in schools. The behavior issues are children who have suppressed emotions. They have things that they don't know how to process. And then teachers are too busy. It's not that they don't want to. It's that they're just too busy. Administrators are too busy, parents are too busy. So how cool would it be if there were coaches on site that could be there to process these things with the kids? I really feel strongly that if we make that a priority in schools, not just parochial schools, obviously the faith for me is number one. But anywhere, if these kids had someone that they could go to that just focused on. On processing the things that they're going through, which is a lot right now, man, we deal with a lot of. We lessen the amount of mental health issues in schools.

So you're bringing fun, life skills, coaching, awareness, trust walking in faith, and all the good stuff to our children community now so that we can get rid of the anxiety pandemic that exists among our peers, among our youth.

Yes.

So I can't wait. I can't wait. I am going to be right there with you to cheer you along, to support you.

I know you will.

So watch out.

Thank you. Coming your way.

Where can we find you?

So, so my Instagram handle is if Synergize, and that's Synergize with a C because my name is Cynthia and then my other Instagram is Gonzalez. A, B, C, D, E. And that is because my family's names are Alex, Brayden, Cynthia, Dylan, Elsie. Foxy's the dog and Gwenny is the other dog. So we're the quirky A, B, C, D, E, F, G family. So, yeah, I'm working on a website. It's not quite ready yet, but yeah, that's where you can find me.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me. Thank you for always cheering me on. I'm indebted to you. I can't even tell you how special you are. You are. You are the face of Christ for me.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Okay, your next chapter does not have to look like Cynthia's or anyone else's, but if God is nudging you for more, like if he's asking that you step out of your comfort zone and say a resounding yes so that you may live in your purpose, grow in faith and wisdom, and live the dreams God dreams for you, then let's go. Thank you. Have a beautiful day. That's it for today's episode. I loved, loved, loved spending this time with you. So thank you for joining me. If somebody came to mind while you were listening, bless them with this episode, send it to them. And if you may, please subscribe and leave a review. Those are really helpful to help us spread the message. And if you want to grow in faith and wisdom, join me at faithandgrowth. Com. Thank you for spending this time with me. Love you. Bye.