Meet Gabriela Gonzalez

We were lucky to catch up with Gabriela Gonzalez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabriela, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Being confident means you know who you are. In addition to this, it also means you have some sort of security and trust in something or someone. A big part of confidence and self-esteem is rooting your identity in something unshakable. For me, I root who I am on Scripture. I believe who God says I am. I believe God does not make mistakes. I see so many young people, and also adults, who make certain decisions or choose a path in life stemming from a seeking of validation and acceptance. One of the greatest things we can teach a child is where to root his/her identity. Teaching a child what God says about them so that they don’t go to a crowd to have that crowd tell them who they are.

When one combines faith with action– your very best effort– you live life with an incredible satisfaction. It doesn’t mean things always work out or you get the desired outcome, but it does mean you know you can bet on God and on yourself, because the King of the Universe is with you and in you. When we do our best and live with discipline, we do what Ed Mylett describes as a confidence building– “keeping the promises you make to yourself.” When you do this over time, in the small things, it transfers to the big things. It becomes an unshakable identity. It means you know exactly who you are.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I work as an attorney (my day job). I have worked for nonprofits my entire career. I am a litigator who worked as a communtiy lawyer for almost a decade, serving New Yorkers who live below the poverty line. I currently work as counsel at an institution for higher education, serving the students, faculty, and mission there. Law is a career centered on service, and I take that very seriously. I always strive to serve with excellence and heart.
One of my gems and glimmers in life is my passion project, Modern Witnesses. This is a website where I interview women of faith and feature Christian authors, musicians, and public figures. We talk about life, struggles, faith and hope. My goal is inspire women to seek truth and foster community around the globe.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would say resilience, patience and courage. Life is a wild journey, and a big part of succeeding and achiving your goals is believing they can be possible and working relentlessly until you start to see what you believe in. Life requires the patience to endure and go on the long and hard journey. Nothing happens overnight. When you are building something, it requires patience. So much of life’s preparation is an investment. It’s a slow road. Resilience is key because life is unexpected and sometimes, tragic. Despite this, we all have agency. Resilience is all about how we use our God-given agency. I like to think of life like a boxing match. Even when you get hit, the key is to be standing in the end. And there’s courage. Just as life is wild, unexpected and tough, it requires you to face it. On some days, that is no small thing. If we are going to live our most maximized life, it means doing the hard thing when others opt for the quick of convenient road. It means you do the hard thing and have patience and faith in the journey.

To develop these, I would say the key is to work on your mindset. For courage, sit with the hard thing and figure things out. Decide you will try new things, even in small things. Take time to dream, and work consistently. Choose growth over comfort. For resilience, anchor yourself in faith, which is an everyday journey. Hold onto gratitude and community. And for patience, I would say its key to dream and build with a plan. Have a vision, and then, courageously go after it. Again, choose growth over victimhood or an identity anyone tries to pin on you. Read biographies of people you admire. See how they showed resilience, patience, and courage. Learn from the good and leave the bad. Be the one who is unstoppable.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I really love autobiographies. My favorite biographies are the ones by people who have lived a million lives in one. Those are, to me, the most fascinating people. My favorite autobiography is Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger. This man grew up in so much adversity. His drive, passion and relentless work ethic have made his life incredible. It’s a large book, but it’s like he is talking you through his life. He has humor and grit. From bodybuilder, to actor, to politician– his is a story that reminds you that you can do anything. I am forever inspired by it. Anything is possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://modernwitnesses.com/
• Instagram: modernwitnesses_

Image Credits

Photo by Luis Gabriel Gonzalez