At the end of a large event where I delivered a 90-minute professional branding workshop, a tall, sun-kissed woman approached me in her casual attire. Eager to jump right into her question, she said: “What if I am not aspiring to impact anything NEW right now?”
I smiled as I realized that I did not mention to the group at large, “some times in your life, you are taking in the view, appreciating your journey and/or keeping things afloat. We all are not in motion at the same time, or on the same path. Taking a breath, slowing down and being in the moment is a gift you can always give yourself.”
As one of my favorite women and author, Rebecca Campbell states in her blog RISING AND FALLING AND FALLING AND RISING on her website https://rebeccacampbell.me:
“We are cyclic beings living in a cyclic world and we are not made to bloom (rise) all year round. And, the greatest rising (blooming) comes after the most significant falls (letting go/releasing).
The seasons teach us how to rise each and every year. If we do not honor that process and attempt to stay blooming all year round, holding onto our leaves tightly, come spring, there will be no space for the new to bloom.”
The Journey is a Process
This lovely woman before me seemed so relieved that she continued to share that five years ago she adopted a new way of living! Each month, she committed to one new action to improve how she felt about herself.
- Month 1: she starting going to the gym three days a week,
- Month 2: she invested in her smile and straightened her teeth
- Month 3: she invested in eye surgery so she could see the beauties of the world
- Month 4: she started Mindfulness Mediation training so she could quiet her mind
As the months progressed, she became more comfortable in her skin and stronger in her words and actions. With her increasing self-worth and love, her marriage disintegrated at an equal pace.
Now divorced, she shared that she is straddling numerous time-consuming responsibilities that include parenting, driving her children, taking care of elderly parents, delivering at work, leading a global team and now, dating which she is happy to add to her list.
Even with all these responsibilities, she glowed.
Second Guessing Where You Are Today
She continued the conversation with “Although, I want to advance my career since I’m already 51. I feel like I have too many things in motion.”
I reassured her that not all things could “bloom” at the same time, and in fact, being selective is just as important as deciding what needs to be the priority or needs to change. (Power of No Webinar)
I found it interesting that she mentioned her age and asked her why she added that level of detail. She shared that she had a fear of being too old or not being an obvious choice for others. She even continued on to explain how her current situation may prevent her from moving into more passion-based work.
Energy and Passion Trump Age
I reassured her that she has way too much positive energy to be overlooked and that she can create her new reality any time she is ready. With this, I delicately mentioned that the world needs all of us so although you might be counting down to retirement, your retirement years will be more of an energy shift of what you prioritize and impact. I often refer to this as a chapter change in life!
At that point, I realized that even with her fantastic momentum, there were still stories she was telling herself (I am getting old, I cannot retire, how will I support myself and what will happen to the people that depend on me). These concerns and fears seem to be skew her vision and question her timeline.
As you think about your journey, timeline and stories, ask yourself:
What season am I in right now?
What am I doing to invest in me?
What stories are preventing me from moving toward my passion projects now?
Who would fall out of my inner circle if I prioritized me more often? And how do I feel about it?
Have a given up on what is important to me in this lifetime?
How can I incorporate 1 thing a week that excites me?
Connect with me on LinkedIn or at www.TechSavvyWomen.net