On Belonging…and Finding Magic Everywhere
Good morning (or afternoon) from summery Sicily!
I’ve got two topics on my mind today. I know you’d prefer to hear stories on me riding donkeys with my 85-year-old gramma in Greece, or recovering from dengue fever twice, or ordering prime rib and expecting ribs and crying about it, but today I’m letting you all in on a little secret (or two).
1. This past year has been tough. I had so many amazing things happen as a consequence of the pandemic that I was really focused on being grateful and excited for the opportunities that presented themselves. But as we know (thank you Newton), every force has an equal and opposite reaction. So coincidentally, I also went through (and continue to go through) a lot of not-so-fun things. At the moment, much of the disappointment that I ignored this past year is catching up with me and I’m finding myself having to make space for those uncomfortable emotions like sadness, grief, and loafing around (which is not an emotion but I'm proposing it as one). It’s hard and it hurts...
AND...I’ve forced myself to really reach out for support from people I love near and far (mostly far, which is even more challenging). As someone who feels called to help others learn to grow, thrive and shine bright themselves, it’s still tough for me to ask for the same support. But in most cases, when I reach out to say, “Ouch, I'm hurting,” I met with such kindness and care that I’m not sure what was ever holding me back.
In addition, as many of you know, I’ve led a bit of a nomadic lifestyle (and not this digital nomad trend, mind you. I date back to the travel days of internet cafes, Lonely Planet guides, and wandering back roads of South American trying to find the cheapest accommodation and then realizing you’ve booked a place by the hour….hmm….). In that process of moving around, of adventuring and exploring, of never quite having a home, I’m continuously working towards learning how to belong in my own skin. How to create a home within and a sense of self that is independent of my surroundings. As I've navigated the outer world and all its ups and downs, I'm realizing now, that the work I've done in learning to support myself is all about my inner world and really, is most effective so I can better ask for support from others.
This leads me to Belonging. It’s my first dive into what I’m calling “Community Coaching.” I already have seven lovely women signed up for my first group, which means only three more spots. If you’re interested, head over to the hidden webpage I’ve created. It’s a six-week commitment to one hour a week on Tuesdays to explore what belonging means to you and how to support yourself and let yourself be supported. I’m really excited (read: also nervous) but grateful for the opportunity to explore together with wonderful women thriving in this world.
That's my secret number one, which I'd love you to be a part of! (or pass it along if you have a friend in mind!)
2. In my effort to expand my horizons (get it? wink wink) I’m also connecting more frequently with some of the groups from my coaching accreditation course. I was in a networking session for Six Seconds, the emotional intelligence organization I work with and we were all asked to share a little story from our lives that inspired us.
Another woman shared a story about her casual search for four-leaf clovers. She never finds them but decided to give it a go when day when walking her dog. That day, she looked down, and there it was: a five-leaf clover!
When I heard this story, I had one of those ah-ha moments! I felt like last year I was so close to holding that four-leaf clover in my hand. It was like I saw one out of the corner of my eye and was reaching down to pick it, and then, I don't know, a dog stepped on it? Or the wind swept it away? Or an alien invasion? Oh wait, no, a global pandemic? My point is, maybe I was limiting myself in thinking that the best possible thing is what we know: the tried and true lucky four-leaf clover. And yet, why not think bigger? Now that I can imagine a 5 leaf clover and hence even ten leaves (yes, go big or go home) what's not to be excited about?
Secret two: there's more luck/beauty/magic out there than we know!
As always, thank you for reading, would love to talk, and wishing you a beautiful week ahead.
Sending sunshine,
Henna