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Chnoa Manso, LMSW
AuthorS Note:I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) sharing my journey along the way! As I navigate this path, I'm also aspiring to be a professor and a published novelist, with a passion for storytelling and helping others. My hope is to inspire, educate, and empower those I encounter—whether it's through my work in social work, my future classroom, or the pieces I write. My journey is one of growth, learning, and connecting, and I can't wait to see where it takes me next! |
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In a world that praises outcomes more than effort, it’s easy to forget that the real beauty of life often lies in the in-between moments like the quiet steps, the lessons learned, the small wins we don’t always acknowledge. Day 12 of the 12 Days of Grace reminds us that gratitude is not at all just about saying “thank you” at the end of a chapter. It’s about recognizing the value of the journey while you are still in the middle of it. Gratitude shifts your focus from what you lack to what you’ve gained. It opens your eyes to progress, even the little growth you may have overlooked. Which, helps you appreciate how far you’ve come, even if you aren’t yet where you want to be yet.
Too often, we tie our happiness to the final result: the diploma, the job offer, the promotion, the launch, the accomplishment. But then once the few seconds are over what's next? How can we continue to fulfill our dreams, goals, and aspirations? The truth is that results are brief moments. The journey toward them is the part that shapes us. When you practice gratitude, you begin to see your journey differently. Each challenge becomes a lesson, each setback becomes redirection, and each moment of growth becomes something worth celebrating. Gratitude turns the process into something meaningful instead of something you just have to push through. It offers perspective reminding you that even slow progress is still movement forward. Gratitude also helps calm the pressure we put on ourselves. When you’re focused only on the outcome, you’re more likely to compare yourself to others, doubt your pace, or overlook your strengths. But when you pause to acknowledge what you’ve already done and how much you’ve evolved, healed, learned, tried, or risked then, you begin to reconnect with grace. You start treating yourself with kindness rather than criticism. You realize that every part of your journey has value, not just the shiny moments at the end. Ultimately, gratitude weaves the entire journey together. It helps you step back and see how the quiet moments, the challenges, the small wins, and the unexpected lessons all connect to shape who you are becoming. Instead of viewing progress as a series of boxes to check, gratitude shows you that every experience, easy or difficult, adds depth to your story. It allows you to move with more intention and compassion, recognizing that growth isn’t always loud or obvious, but it is always meaningful. When you stop treating the finish line as the only part that matters, you begin to appreciate the unfolding of your life in real time. Gratitude turns the journey from something you endure into something you actively engage with, learn from, and take pride in. And in that shift, you discover the quiet joy of knowing that the process itself is worthy, beautiful, and full of grace… if you allow it.
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Happy holidays all! For day 11 of 12 Days of Grace we focus on, Grace in Alignment. I am so excited to share another playlist! If you are interested in checking out this new playlist out, feel free to click here!
10 songs to get you in the vibe of alignment
When people talk about courage, we tend to imagine the big moments like the life-changing decisions, the leaps of faith, the dramatic turning points. But the truth is, most courage doesn’t look like a bold movie scene. Real courage is quiet. It’s subtle. It’s deeply personal. And many times, it shows up in ways we don’t even recognize. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but it’s the commitment to move forward, even when fear hasn’t left the room. And when you pair courage with grace, something powerful happens, you give yourself permission to show up imperfectly, tenderly, and honestly.
Here are six forms of courage we rarely celebrate, but deeply deserve to: 1. The Courage to Ask for Help: We often associate strength with independence, but vulnerability is a form of courage, too. Admitting you need support, guidance, or clarity takes honesty and humility which are necessary qualities that move you forward far more than silence ever will. 2. The Courage to Start Again: Starting over. Whether in school, relationships, goals, or mindset starting over, is courage in its purest form. It means choosing hope over history and believing that your future is still worth fighting for. 3. The Courage to Set Boundaries: Saying “no” can feel uncomfortable, but honoring your limits is a courageous act of self-respect. Boundaries protect the parts of you that need space to breathe, grow, recharge and heal. 4. The Courage to Tell the Truth (Even to Yourself): Being honest about what hurts, what you want, and what you’re afraid of requires emotional bravery. Truth is the foundation of growth, and facing it is one of the strongest things you can do. 5. The Courage to Pursue What You Really Want: Dreams require courage not because they’re impossible, but because they ask you to imagine a version of yourself you haven’t met yet. Trusting your passions, even when others don’t see the vision, is an act of belief in your future self. 6. The Courage to Rest: Rest is brave in a society that glorifies burnout. Taking time to pause instead of pushing through teaches you that you’re worthy of care, not just productivity. Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it’s a whisper, a step, a choice. When you allow grace to sit beside your courage, you move through fear with compassion instead of pressure. And on your journey to becoming who you’re meant to be, those quiet moments of bravery matter more than you realize. Welcome to Day 9 of the 12 Days of Grace series! Today, we’re diving into belief. Belief in your purpose, your journey, and most importantly, yourself.
If you’re ready to step into a more confident, empowered version of you, I’ve curated a playlist to help you tap into that energy. You can listen to the full playlist by clicking here and keep reading to see why these songs made the list. These tracks motivate me with intention, remind me of my resilience, and help me reconnect with the version of myself that refuses to give up. I hope they do the same for you. 10 Songs That Will Make You Believe in Yourself
Today we focus on Grace In Mission for Day 8. During my time at Columbia University, I took a course that gave me the opportunity to build a brand, so I used this project to expand TVSWCT, developing it into a structured vision. Through this class, I established clear branding and a solid mission:
“To serve as a guide to everyone through their unique life journey. TVSWCT serves as a resource to assist in informing and educating the emphasis in how access to opportunities plays a huge rule in upward mobility, especially amongst marginalized communities in higher education environments.” For students, understanding your mission is especially important. College and early adulthood are seasons of transition. Where you’re not only building your skills, but also discovering who you are, what you value, and what you want to stand for as a developing professional. Your mission becomes your anchor. It grounds you when you feel uncertain, and it helps you move through challenges with clarity, purpose, and self-belief. So, what’s your mission? Below are some songs that I believe can help you activate it. Click here to access the Spotify playlist!
Day 7 of 12 days of Grace - Finding Your Vision: 5 Steps to See, Create, and Own Your Future11/23/2025 Having a clear vision is one of the most powerful ways to create a life full of purpose, passion, and alignment. A vision is more than just a goal, it’s the image of what you want your life, work, or project to feel like when it’s fully realized. But how do you find it? Here’s a step-by-step guide to uncovering, shaping, and standing confidently in your vision.
Step 1: See What You Want Start by imagining what you truly want. What does it feel like? What energy does it bring to your life? Don’t focus on logistics yet, just envision the life, project, or business that excites you. This is about connection: the clearer you are about the experience and emotions tied to your vision, the stronger your foundation will be. Step 2: Research Possibilities Once you know what you want, explore how to make it real. Research opportunities, methods, and tools, attend workshops, read, or seek mentors. At the beginning of this year, for example, I wanted to grow my online presence, so I attended a workshop that helped me achieve my goal of gaining a follower a day over the course of the year. Consider how you can merge different ideas or skills to create a feasible product, service, or goal. Think practically about how your vision could exist in the world while staying aligned with your passions and strengths. Step 3: Brainstorm Boldly Let yourself dream without limits. Write down everything you would say or do if your idea were worth a million dollars. What would you create if failure wasn’t an option? This exercise helps expand your thinking, uncover hidden opportunities, and clarify what truly matters to you. Don’t censor yourself, let your imagination guide you. Step 4: Define & Refine Your Vision Look at everything you’ve imagined and researched. What patterns emerge? What feels aligned with your values, strengths, and passions? Reflect on how your vision could evolve, refine the details, and make it specific enough to act on. Your vision should feel inspiring but also actionable, a roadmap that excites and motivates you. Step 5: Stand Confidently in Your Vision Your vision is yours, and the way you hold it matters. Step into it with confidence, clarity, and commitment. When you believe in your vision, others will see it too. Own it, act on it, and let your confidence attract the right opportunities, collaborators, and resources to bring it to life. Today, as we are in Day 6 of 12 days of grace, Grace in passion we continue our journey of creating meaningful playlists, musical collections that inspire, empower, and ignite your inner fire. When you think of passion, what comes to mind? What drives you? What lights you up and motivates you to keep going?
As you take a moment to reflect on your own passions, I invite you to immerse yourself in today’s playlist, carefully curated with intention and heart. Each song is designed to uplift, energize, and remind you of your own strength, resilience, and potential. Click Here to explore the playlist, and enjoy the full tracklist below:
Today I wanted to continue in the spirit of what we did yesterday, using music as a vessel to connect, ground ourselves, and create a moment of stillness. But instead of focusing on authenticity, today’s theme is GRACE IN INTENTION.
Click Here to experience this Spotify playlist which is soft, reflective, and grounding, the kind of music that helps you want to step into your day. I hope these intentional songs resonate and support you along your journey. 10 songs that give Setting Intentions + Mindful Morning Vibes
Today I wanted to do something a little different so Day 4 calls for a soundtrack! I made a Spotify playlist with the songs listed below! Feel free to check out the play list by clicking here! I wanted to use music today as a vessel to connect!
Today’s theme is GRACE IN AUTHENTICITY, and this playlist has vibes of bright, bold, and unapologetically real energy. Let these songs be your companion as you wander through your day: feel the joy, embrace the weird, celebrate the unique, and let your authentic self shine! I hope this playlist resonates! 12 songs that give *Living your authentic life vibes*
When I first started college, self-discovery wasn’t something I consciously focused on the way I do today, it was something I stumbled through. I struggled with time management, balancing classes, work, friendships, and still trying to make time for myself. I didn’t know my studying habits yet. I didn’t know how I wanted to show up on campus or within my community. Everything felt new, and at times, overwhelming. But little by little, I started trying things. I went to school events, explored different clubs, and paid attention to what felt right. I even went to see authors speak before writing my first book, not because I had it all figured out, but because I wanted to be around people who represented the kind of future I saw for myself. Their presence showed me what was possible. Be inspired by their stories which really helped me see myself in new ways and the possibilities upon my horizons, and really whats possible for anyone when they really set their mind to it.
Self-discovery doesn't happen all at once. For myself it happens in the moments where I have stepped outside my comfort zone. It happens in the moments when something surprises me about who I was becoming, not just as a student, but as a professional learning how to support others better. Being able to meet so many motivated and driven students, watching them show up every day on campus, inspired me to show up too. Their commitment pushed me to balance two jobs, schoolwork, and content creation. It reminded me that growth happens when you're surrounded by people who are also becoming their best selves. But also how the space we inhabit is such a privilege to be upon, especially in this day in age to learn to create to be inspired by the community one is amongst. Through all of this, I learned that discovering yourself is an ongoing journey. Here are 10 things that helped me, and can help you, discover who you are becoming: 1. Spend intentional time alone. Growth can’t happen if you don’t make space to listen to yourself. Solitude helps you slow down, reflect, and reset. It helps you process all of what life throws at you and expects you to tackle. Take a moment for you to figure out what's truly on your mind after all the noise is gone. 2. Journal your honest thoughts. Your journal is a judgment-free zone. Write everything whether its confusion, dreams, fears, ideas. Understanding yourself starts with acknowledging what’s already inside you. This is another form of processing. 3. Try something new every month. Whether it’s a new club, hobby, or event, every new experience shows you a new version of yourself. A new possibility upon the horizon and potentially something that could quit literally chang your life forever. 4. Listen to your body’s reactions. Your body will tell you when something is right or wrong for you. Energy, tension, joy, hunger pay attention to these signals. It is easy to ignore physical symptoms when life is so fast paced and demanding. Take your time and take a deep breath. You got this. 5. Track what drains you versus what excites you. Patterns reveal purpose. Notice where you feel alive and where you feel heavy. Reduce the feelings of heaviness and increase the areas of exposure where you feel alive. This makes me think of this video I saw once where there was an experiment on rice and plants. Where one subject was talked to negatively and one was talked to, possibly the one talked to negatively did not thrive while the one talked to positively did. In this sense I feel this greatly relates. 6. Reconnect with your younger self. Your childhood interests hold clues. Look back to the things you naturally gravitated toward before the world told you who to be. Something I did recently that fed my inner child was to play Webkinz. With everything I have going on in life it felt nice to just sit for a moment and play a game with no pressure or expectations, just fun. I challenge you to do this often to keep the lightness of life present. 7. Surround yourself with inspiring people. Being around individuals who are driven, curious, and motivated will naturally elevate you. Community shapes identity. Personally working at Press Play Motivation has been something that has greatly impacted how I have surrounded myself. Being surrounded by such talented driven individuals is inspiring and keeps me waking up everyday and keeping up the work I am doing. Now finding my SHU Graduate Assistantship and seeing how dedicated these students are to their communities amongst the larger community campus is a privilege to get to see and be a part of truly. In short, do what you love and do it often, and if you don't like something in your life change it… it always starts with the first step of the choice to want to change to do something different and or find a different plan. 8. Set boundaries and honor them. You can’t discover yourself if you’re constantly overwhelmed. Protect your energy so your best self can show up. Clearing your mind and being open to cater to your needs is so important. 9. Practice mindfulness or healing through movement. Whether through meditation, a dance at a drop in dance studio or simple quiet moments, reflection and healing through movement helps you understand your reactions, emotions, and desires. 10. Celebrate every small moment of growth. Self-discovery is not one big revelation, but more of a collection of small breakthroughs. Acknowledge and celebrate each step. When I was a senior in my BSW program my professors kept telling me to enjoy the small moment and celebrate the now because before you know it it will be over and looking back i defiantly didnt believe them but now already almost 3 years later I have quite literally changed and grown so much but the Chnoa I was then I am just as proud of as the Chnoa I am today. |
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