This article was written by Dana, a Hey Lady! Member from Argentina who is now living in Italy. Dana originally shared this article in our Memberzine - the digital ‘magazine’ our members publish articles to, inside the Hey Lady! Platform. 

“I can hardly believe it - I’m writing my third Memberzine article! This is such an exciting milestone for me on my English journey, because I’ve never written anything in English before - so I’m genuinely amazed. 

I think the reason I’ve embraced this so fully is the encouragement I feel from the incredible women I meet each week at the conversations inside Hey Lady!, as well as the consistent support from the English Coaches here.

If I were to define last year (2024) in just a few words, it would be: 

"Progress, not perfection. Curiosity and kindness."

2024 was the year that I pursued curiosity in all areas of life. I embraced the fact that making mistakes is a natural part of being human. I challenged myself to overcome perfectionism and shyness, choosing instead to be kind to myself throughout the process.

One of the most significant steps I’ve taken - one that required a great deal of courage - was deciding to join Hey Lady! on 1st October 2024. 

I am profoundly grateful for that decision.

Little did I know at the start of this journey how this mindset shift I had set out to achieve would deeply shape my Hey Lady! experience.

I’m a completely different person from the one who showed up for the first time at a 15-minute conversation event inside Hey Lady! in October.

I’m currently in my third month at Hey Lady!, and I can feel the improvement in my English like never before - it’s as if I had pressed the ‘speed’ button! 

No other platform I’ve tried has had this kind of impact on me. 

But that’s the key difference: this isn’t just a platform, it’s a deeply connected community where you gain so much more than just English skills.

I’m learning a lot, and I see and feel the progress every day.

Even the people close to me have noticed - they’ve told me I seem happier. And they’re right. I truly believe I’ve found what I’ve been longing, working, and searching for all this time.

I started by participating in a few '15-minute Daily Speaking Practice' conversations in my first week (these are short and sweet online events hosted by the Hey Lady! team every day, to help us get regular conversation practice!). 

I hesitated a lot to join the 45 or 60-minute 'Conversation Starters' at first, or events hosted by other members - simply because of fear.

But now, after just 3 months, I participate in EVERY conversation and activity inside Hey Lady! that I have the opportunity to join.

I even HOST and co-host my own English conversations here, and write my own articles in English, like this one!

And I’ve achieved all of this in just 3 months!

I pray this community continues to thrive, giving even more women the chance to connect with incredible ladies from all over the globe.

It's a place to nurture yourself by listening to other ladies' valuable life experiences, see how our stories matter, and learn real, practical English for real-life situations.

"I let go of perfection and embrace connection".

Surprisingly, the last week of December 2024 brought back the words I mentioned at the beginning of this article in 3 unexpected ways. 

First, while scrolling through the banners on the home page of the Hey Lady! platform, I came across the phrase: “I let go of perfection and embrace connection...” It instantly resonated with me.

Second, for Christmas, I received two special gifts: a cute pencil case with the words “BE CURIOUS” and a bracelet engraved with the phrase “Not Perfect, but unique!”  That’s when I realised that these words had been my guiding principles throughout the year.

And third, a few days ago, my brother called to share something he had found - a letter I wrote when I was just 10 years old. It was full of spelling mistakes, written to be sent to a kids’ magazine I used to read. Seeing that letter made me think: how was I so willing back then to share my thoughts, my imperfect spelling, and my amateur drawings - without any fear of judgment?

Reflecting on it now, I see that what I’m doing today is similar. 

I’m ‘letting go of perfection and embracing connection’ with people who share the same aspirations and goals at Hey Lady! It feels like coming full circle, rediscovering that fearless curiosity and willingness to connect that I had as a child.

Here’s to a year FULL of connection, Ladies!✨

Finally, let me tell you that I hope you find yourself living a fulfilling journey, whether with English or whatever goal you're aiming for. May you also take time to pay attention and discover what you are naturally good at.

You deserve to live, not just survive.

May you thrive in this community, and in life in general. Love you all, and thank you for reading my story.”

‍This article was written by Dana, a Hey Lady! Member from Argentina who is now living in Italy. Dana originally shared this article in our Memberzine - the digital ‘magazine’ our members publish articles to, inside the Hey Lady! Platform. 

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