As progressive folks who want to build a purposeful life with a likeminded community, it's important to know the purpose, the impetus, the objectives of any movement you are a part of. As the founder of Tough Convos, Daphne Magna has her own motivations and experiences that propel her to do this work.
Beyond being a leader who is building a community of global citizens to tackle diversity and inclusion from a culturally intelligent perspective, what makes her tick? And who is she really?
In a recent interview with Passionpreneur coach, Jerry Almeida, she was asked to describe herself in 7 words and this is what she came up with.
I’m an Artist - a free thinker, speaker and creator who believes life itself is an art form. Drawing outside the lines is just as necessary as drawing inside the lines. Being able to create an impact in any area, and to build a connection with anyone is the true essence of being an artist, being alive.
I’m an Educator - I feel I have a responsibility to use my voice and improve education overall. I enlighten people with different global perspectives and clarity that is hard found in contemporary education. By inspecting different philosophies, histories, and cultural values across the globe, we better understand other perspectives and can educate better by molding global citizens.
I’m a Future Thinker - I see in possibilities. I am solution focused. I believe artists create the future by being constructive, building and bettering all that we touch. And the world needs much bettering, from education to healthcare, human rights to diversity and inclusion, environmental care to police reform, we have our hands full.
I've Got Cojones - I use courage to confront things that are uncomfortable. My moral compass guides my actions, and my compassionate approach ensures that the impact I create is pro-humanity. I am 100% determined to do what it takes to uplift people, unshackle them.
I’m a Global Citizen - I am curious to the bone about others. Travel is by far the best education. Through experiencing new things one learns that letting go of what you think is you, is actually the most effective way of figuring out who you really are. I belong to no clique, but rather a citizen of the world.
I’m a Truth Seeker - I don’t want to know what makes me right, I seek what makes us better. Natural laws make life what it is, so it’s imperative to know them. But truth is relative to how workable it is. Truth is a matter of one’s experience, one’s reality, one’s cultural values and one’s logic.
I’m Aesthetic - I appreciate the beauty in everything; in different cultures, in nature, and definitely in design. I personally show up in a way that dispels the myth that beauty and brains don’t coincide. And that beauty is really your degree of affinity for something - the higher tone you are, the more beauty you see.
And so she writes...
On this day interracial love won. But why?
Not because it was fair, or they were equal.
Not because the world needed to grow, or society was ready for change.
Not because they were romantics, or thought love could conquer all.
On this day love won, because this spirit had a purpose.
We move through our lives sometimes on our path and sometimes off.
We often wander to learn about ourselves, only to find out we already knew where we would end up.
We are curious to know more, searching for answers, or running away from fears we never knew ran us.
On this day, this spirit had a plan.
The world was bright with June sun and morning birds.
The tree leaves whistled, while the wind rubbed her face.
The smile he beamed was none other than awe.
On this day the world changed, this being was ready to make an imprint.
And so ToughConvos was born.
Daphne created a platform, because she felt the responsibility to educate, to contribute to a world where her son is NOT afraid to talk to strangers. As a result she’s putting a future there that she and many others believe is important to intentionally create, by having tough and courageous conversations about issues that affect all of us and ideally make us better global citizens. In her attempt to get to the truth, and find the common denominators that bridge the divide between people, systems and reality, she does it all with a creative, compassionate flair, in order to highlight the beauty of all people and cultures, so that we learn to move beyond differences and appreciate the sweet things we all have to offer.
Welcome to Tough Convos.