067. Name the Filly
Episode Summary
When Hope’s daughter bought a white filly with blue eyes, she was overjoyed, until one person after another told her it was a mistake. Blue-eyed horses go blind. They sunburn. They aren’t as smart. Weeks later, the filly still didn’t have a name. Because the moment you name something, you’re saying, “You are mine,” and if it’s really yours, so is the risk.
Hope brought that story to the women of the Light It Up club, and one member said something that changed the room: “I never thought about the power of naming and owning my dreams, without permission from others. It’s mine.” In that moment, her dream became real. In the second half, Hope opens up about her own filly: her company, Arise. She talks about how quiet business ownership is, with no applause when items get checked off the list, the long hours of backend computer work and learning new things, and how much she’d rather be painting or riding her horse. She also shares why she stays anyway, and the grit and steadfast mindedness she has built in just six months.
In This Episode
0:00 The moment a member said, “It’s mine,” and her dream became real
1:30 Welcome, and what this episode is about
2:30 The white filly with blue eyes, and the voices that called her a mistake • Why a name is a statement of ownership • Your dream doesn’t need a permission slip • Owners see needs, not flaws • Ownership is not blame: fault looks backward, ownership looks forward
11:00 Naming it makes it real, but not easy 1
2:00 Hope’s story: the quiet of building a business, with no applause • Wanting to paint and ride, and choosing to stay • The grit and steadfast mindedness she didn’t have six months ago
19:00 Name it, own it, stay with it, plus your steadfast step for the week Key Takeaways • Name it. A dream becomes real the moment you name it as yours, without anyone’s permission. • Own it. Owners see needs, not flaws. Take care of what’s yours, the beautiful parts and the tender parts. • Stay with it. After the naming comes the quiet. The quiet isn’t a sign you’re doing it wrong. It’s where the grit gets built. • Be your own applause. When you check something off, pause for one breath and say, “I did that.”
Quotes from the Episode
“I never thought about the power of naming and owning my dreams, without permission from others. It’s mine.” — a Light It Up club member
“A name is a statement of ownership.” “Your dream doesn’t need a committee vote.” “The people around her only saw problems. An owner sees needs, and takes care of them.” “The quiet is not a sign that you’re doing it wrong. The quiet is where the grit gets built.” “No one may be applauding you right now. So let me be the one. I see you. Keep going.”
Reflect and Journal
1. What filly have I brought into my life, a dream, a decision, a season, that I haven’t named as mine yet?
2. Whose voices made me hold it at arm’s length? Whose permission have I been waiting for?
3. What are the “blue eyes” in my dream, the things others call flaws, that are really needs I know how to care for?
4. Where am I building something in the quiet right now, and how can I celebrate my own progress?
5. Finish the sentence: “You are mine, and I name you ____.”
Your Steadfast Step This Week Name one dream, out loud or on paper. Then take one small step toward it. When you finish that step, celebrate it, even if you’re the only one in the room.
Connect with Hope
If this episode spoke to you, share it with a woman in your life who has a filly she hasn’t named yet. • Join the Light It Up club: a circle of women naming their dreams and owning their lives together.
• Arise Coaching and Retreats: https://arisecoachingandretreats.com
• Follow along: @arisecoachingandretreats
• Tell Hope what you’re building in the quiet: [email protected]
About Your Host Hope Kendall is the founder and CEO of Arise Coaching and Retreats, where she helps people breathe, reconnect with who they are, and live boldly as the truest version of themselves. She teaches The Steadfast Path, her own framework for moving through life’s hard moments one small, steady step at a time. When she isn’t coaching, you’ll find her painting or out riding her horse.
