Honoring Your Life
How's it going?
It’s time.
All of my closest friends and loved ones have listened to me and my intentions to devote time to the EXPRESSION that is dying to come out and through me. There are a 1000 reasons to excuse what I have been doing up until now, and let’s leave it at that.
My Substack journey begins now and will cover and cross over many different topics. I will likely center the inquiry of this human experience and how that shows up in leadership, our personal development, wellbeing, and how we are using our lives while we get to be here. Sprinkle in a bit of encouragement, vulnerability, provocation, and positivity and you fill hopefully find yourself enjoying the journey with me.
Why Substack, why now ?
Like many, I started a blog 15 years ago. It was entitled Gracious Balance. Due to a lot of self-editing and not feeling free to totally express my self authentically, my public writing grew dormant. I did start to use Facebook, and then Instagram as a way of sharing, and most recently via LinkedIn; and this is the first time since my blog I am going for it.
Why? Because as I mentioned above, it’s time. It’s time for me to honor myself and this deep calling in my belly to express. It’s time for me to honor my life in this way because it is a calling of the heart. And I want to walk my talk. I am also at a significant turning point in my life. I have reignited my career in the secular world bringing conscious leadership (among other organizational development work) to a healthcare system in South Los Angeles. Mind you it started in December of 2019 and a global pandemic began three months later. Never before had I worked inside a healthcare system or hospital. I’ll share more on that at a later date.
Fast forward almost four years later and recently being laid off as part of a workforce reduction, I am at a new precipice. I have entered a new phase of life looking after both my parents as they shift into a new stage of life too. I am content in my life in ways I have longed for, well, let’s just say, most of my life. I am still a work in progress, of course. And, I am healthier than I have ever been on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I have acquired many tools and practices that support that health, and as a result I am more clear and confident in who I am and why I am here than I ever could have been before. I will share more of that in a later post too. But, this is my WHY now.
As for Substack, I am absolute neophyte and thus far their platform feels aligned for me. It also seems genuine in its quest to connect writers and readers without ads. Yeah!
Who are you, dear ones?
You are curious. You are drawn to living your best life. You are more connected to gratitude than lack, yet you can definitely dip into the abyss now and then. You are a learner and you are drawn to honesty. No fluff. There will be no fluff here. There will be LOVE. There will be lots of love here and I will be pouring over you, my dear devoted reader, much Love. You can choose to receive it or not. That I am not attached to. If you choose to stay on this journey with me, together, we will build a community. How she shapes to be, we will find out TOGETHER.
Why subscribe?
That’s a fantastic question. I promise I will more properly answer this when it’s more clear to me. At this moment I would offer if any of what I have shared above resonates with you then give it a try. If you are interested to learn as much with me as you may from me then subscribe. If you have been putting off something heartfelt, and want to witness another scale the mountain as INSPIRATION, then subscribe. If you want to be encouraged and reminded of how beautiful and POWERFUL you truly are, subscribe. Ok? That’s it for now.
What can you expect?
Soon I will more clearly define the cadence and fullness of this Substack journey you may choose to join me on. It could be seductive to not start until that is clear and I am done with that. I will likely create a paid subscribers-only option and for now, let’s do this.
Some things I am playing with including here:
Inner inquiry reflection prompts
Sharing and unpacking words, terms, and colloquialisms for being a consciously inclusive human (we teach what we need to learn)
A monthly Zoom meet up on topics that come up here
Guest speakers and writers of expertise: from business, diversity & inclusion, leadership, spirituality, history, environmentalism, astrology, health and wellbeing, etc.
Featuring inspiring examples of people, “honoring their lives”
Interviews of interesting and inspiring humans
Excerpts of my upcoming books that I am currently writing too
*Full disclosure: the above are ideas floating and gestating. In time I will define. Perhaps with your help and input.
Who am I?
I am devoted encourager of the Soul. Meaning I’m curious about all our layers and dimensions and find the complexity of the human experience to be worthy and on purpose for growth and healing. Our most healed expression IS why we are here and it's also a reunion with our Soul. We aren’t taught how to be ourselves. Rather we are taught and persuaded to be a lot of other things.
I am especially drawn to the workplace because we humans spend a third of our lives there and the impact of that time is significant. It influences our sense of self, our wellbeing, our perceived capacity, and it becomes a demonstration of what we value, often unconsciously.
I am a leader, advisor, facilitator, builder, and writer. I am a social scientist and I am deeply curious about this human experience and why we are here. I think it’s way bigger than any purpose, possession, or profession and I’ll never tire of the inquiry.
I am focused on possibility, your greatest expression and calling us all forward to do better and love more. Starting with ourselves. I am campaigning for humility, kindness, generosity, and self-awareness, and a culture that respects all sentient beings. Full stop.
If you are interested in any of the above, as well as, leadership, personal development, wellbeing, the workplace and healing, stick around and join the conversation.
This pic is my compass. I aspire to fulfill all her dreams. She is three.
Awww! I love that 3-year-old compass. :) welcome to Substack!