Dark to Light: Loving Your Suffering
As I am writing this I am not sure what the answers are. In past journal entries I’ve written about caring for self with loving kindness… I thought I had it figured out. I thought I was finding my way. I thought I had finally arrived.
But once again, life feels messy and frustrating. Despite my best efforts to move forward consistently and intentionally, I am now in a place where it feels like two steps forward, one step back on one day and then, one step forward and two steps back on the next.
Envisioning Next Year from Here
Confession Time: I may have journaled about how to plan during a pandemic – but full-disclosure I am currently experiencing ‘planning-block’. I can not get myself into the ‘zone’ to dream for next year. So this week planning is on pause.
A Year in Review: Highlights & Lowlights
The holidays often bring a series of emotions. This year may be even more intense as we navigate the transitions and adaptations involved with the pandemic. Feelings of joy, gratitude, calm, excitement, peace, sadness, grief, loss, loneliness, fear. Or any combination of these.
Regardless of whether the holidays naturally nurture your preferred state of being, or not, I invite you to think about how you would like to feel this holiday season.
How can we actual plan during a pandemic?
Having a robust and consistent strategy to building a virtual business network has another significant upside – you will be supporting your mental health and the mental health of those you engage with. As entrepreneurs, we will continue to adapt and find creative ways to thrive, regardless of the challenges ahead.
Dark to Light: Performing in Pain
We all have them. Those days when we don’t feel “on.” Difficulty functioning, not feeling well-rested in the mornings, going through our own journeys with mental health, feeling overwhelmed with the demands of our business and life responsibilities.
Virtual Networking
Having a robust and consistent strategy to building a virtual business network has another significant upside – you will be supporting your mental health and the mental health of those you engage with. As entrepreneurs, we will continue to adapt and find creative ways to thrive, regardless of the challenges ahead.
Dark to Light - Coping with Anxiety + Panic Attacks as Business Owner & Therapist
I am blessed to say that my childhood was filled with love. Love that I couldn’t have imagined from a beautiful family. Even with this deep love I still have memories from my childhood of navigating anxiety. As an infant and toddler everyday I coped with the emotional and physical symptoms of severe eczema, chronic sinus congestion, and asthma. There were meltdowns in Walmart where my mother would hold me as I cried in pain. Expressing that I wanted to take a knife to cut my skin off because I was in such distress. Striking myself because I felt like this inner anxiety gremlin was taking over my body, my mind, my identity. With a voice so loud that it was screaming its reality and truth into my psyche.
Lessons From the Road
You met Doris The RV in my August blog. Now she’s back with an update on her journey and of course an update on what I have learned along the way.
Doris, a new-to-us RV, was our response to traveling to see my elderly mother during these unusual times. We traveled (with a side of work) from Ontario to Alberta, visiting with family and friends along the way.
Serving with Joy
Welcome to Costron + Co!
As entrepreneurs, we have experienced the benefits that great support from our team and collaborators provide for tasks outside of our wheelhouse. To grow a business, it is crucial to be aware of new opportunities for synergy. We’ve all had those points at various stages of our business when we feel the weight of juggling all the ‘stuff & things,’ and we come to realize that if we want to continue to serve with joy, structural changes may be needed for a return to clarity, confidence and calm.
Meet Doris the Roadtripper
Ever do something that you said – and openly told others – that you would NEVER do?
Yep – me too. And it recently happened again. Meet Doris, The Roadtripper! This new-to-us RV motorcoach is something that I said I would never own. My spouse and I said never would we ever own an RV. We were quite proud of our judgement, with our list of things that didn’t make it right, and frankly couldn’t understand why someone would choose an RV as a method of travel.
Taking the 1st Small Step to Allyship
Putting pen to paper - or fingers to keyboard in this case – is again proving to be a challenge. At this moment I have much to say and no words to articulate my thoughts and feelings. I mentioned in my last blog that I would talk about the learning and experience of hosting the KEDCO call on Navigating Marketing & Social Caused as a Small Business Owner. I have thought a lot about the experience in the last two weeks.
What A Wonderful World It Would Be.
It has been difficult to write a blog this week. To be honest, I am distracted and can’t seem to get inspired to focus on a topic. That stupid voice of ‘you should sit down and write your blog’ is nattering around in my mind.
Finding Joy Where You Are
I have been working at self-care for years now. Sometimes I think I’m getting the hang of it. Other times I feel like: Hey wait a minute, I wasn’t looking for another job or list of chores! Anybody else feeling a bit overwhelmed?
COFFEE CHAT: Domi Feichtinger
Domi is a Certified Intentional Creative Coach. This coffee chat you will experience the undeniable passion that Domi has for her work helping people heal and experience joy through art.
COFFEE CHAT: Emily Mersey
In fall of 2019 Emily attended a Desire Map workshop that I hosted. We spent a couple of sessions together which then shifted to her and her partner, Matt, completing Desire Map as a couple. In this chat, we talk about her experience and the impact it has had on her life and her relationship. I am humbled by her kind words.
How Do You Want To Feel?
When I see the hurt and trauma in the world, through TV or social media feeds, I realize I have so much to learn about how to support the vulnerable, care for mother earth, and hold space and be an agent of change for BIPOC community members.
COFFEE CHAT: Ann Marie McKenzie
Ann Marie and I serve humanity in very similar ways and I am grateful to share this space with her. I know that this time in our our world is a kairos moment and the work that we do is needed and in abundance.
COFFEE CHAT: Cory Firth
Cory thought he achieved his dream when he built a global social media agency that he founded in 2016. But then came a restlessness that had such a pull away from what he thought was his dream to a life that he knew in his soul was necessary, healthier and more fulfilling. He leaned into being uncomfortable and the tension of responsibilities vs the path to authentic living.
Make Each Day A Masterpiece
As I referenced in my blog last week there were points in my career journey that were appropriate at the time but not truly my authentic purpose. I’ve been reflecting on this and asking myself what I discovered along the way.
COFFEE CHAT: Sheri Godfrey
During my chat with Sheri she shared her journey. Touching on the shifts and pivots and how it all led her to where she is today.