Trust that life will always take you where you're supposed to be - especially in those moments when it feels hardest to trust, when you're feeling lost. We all experience those moments. If there's one thing life has taught me, it’s that nothing can be forced. At every specific moment, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be - even when it doesn’t feel comfortable.

There were times when I felt uneasy, as if I were running out of time, afraid I’d miss a chance if I didn’t move fast enough. But over the years, I’ve learned that there’s no need to rush. What is truly meant for me will find its way, no matter what. That realization allows me to breathe easier, even smile, when I think about all the steps I’ve taken. Because every step, even the uncertain ones, brought me to where I am today: from a dancer to a lawyer to a facilitator.

I started dancing as soon as I could walk. I never imagined that everything I learned in the dance studio would one day shape my professional path as a lawyer - and later, as a learning facilitator. I’ll be forever grateful to my mother, who brought me to daily training sessions. Neither of us knew then where it would lead.

Today, I work at the CEF, designing learning events and project activities in the central banking area. But let me take you back to 2015 - that’s when I discovered Kizomba, a genre of dance and music originating from Angola. What began as a few weekly classes turned into something much bigger. Within six months, I was assisting the teacher. A year later, I was organizing the first Urban Kiz festival in my country and traveling to similar festivals across the world.

Urban Kiz - an evolution of Kizomba influenced by tango, hip-hop, and other genres - taught me so much about innovation, adaptability, and community. Soon after helping promote the festival, I was invited to join the organizational team. I was focused, passionate, and disciplined - traits I had carried with me from years of dancing. I didn’t know how to do things halfway; I was all in. I was also a team player. Dance taught me that, too: how to cooperate, communicate, and respect others in pursuit of a shared goal.

What started as a small event, organized by two passionate dancers doing everything from teaching to promotion, eventually grew into a major international festival with over 1,000 participants from around the world. But the road wasn’t easy.

We faced hard lessons. I personally lost €5,000 with the first edition and another €5,000 with the second - money I paid out of my own life savings. It was painful, but the experience taught me more than any textbook could. I learned about project management, communication, leadership, crisis management, and the power of teamwork. I became proud - not of the mistakes, but of the way I learned and grew from them.

One of the most touching moments of my life happened during the last edition of the festival, in February 2025. On Saturday night, our DJs blindfolded me and my co-organizer - my best friend - and led us into the grand Union Hall. When they removed our blindfolds, we stood before a silent crowd of 1,000 festival participants, all applauding us. It was overwhelming. That moment of appreciation was worth every sleepless night, every challenge, every tear. Because they saw how much love we had poured into it. We weren’t just organizers - we were cleaning the floor, buying the food, making it all happen.

Today, I carry all those lessons with me into my work at the CEF. I’m still focused, passionate, and goal-driven, now designing learning experiences for professionals in central banking. Everything I once viewed as failure - the financial losses, the stress, the doubts - turned out to be preparation. I now understand what project management really means, what it takes to organize complex events, and what it means to lead and be part of a team.

So, here’s what I want to share with you: on a bad day or a good one, take a breath and trust. Trust that life will always take you where you’re supposed to be.