Anyone who knows me, knows I love nature and the lessons we learn from it. One of my favorite pastimes is gardening and how it offers such great analogies for life. When a new year enters, a practice I have come to love is to review the closing year as a farmer would at harvest time; what crops to replant and asking if it’s time to plant something new. Keeping in mind this valuable proverb; ‘we reap what we sow, later than we sow, and more than we sow.’ I also use the nature analogy of “pruning” when reviewing my time and productivity. Life can get so busy with such great things, that productivity for any one thing suffers. Typically while gardening, I prune when a plant is healthy and thriving but it has taken up space where something else is trying to grow.
This year’s transition revealed that my priorities are changing and it was time to plant something new and do some pruning to create space for it to grow. My value to leave this earth with no regrets regularly prompts me to ensure my choices align with what is most important. The harsh reality is we all get the same amount of time to live life, therefore, periodic reprioritizing on how to fill this time is the only way to create space for planting the desired harvest. With this said, I want to share my decision for creating space for a few new crops.
Over the past few years, I have entered into a new relationship and have been working on developing my ATP Wellbeing business. Although, my time has been stretched with working a full-time career with the State (which I have held for 23 years), I love all the activities I am involved in. Last year I felt a nudge to step back from WWR to focus on my business. I made a few adjustments by stepping away from being Chief Financial Officer, but saw little progress in growing my new crops.
Those of you who regularly choose “One Word” for the year will relate to this. In September, I stepped into my new word “Rise.” I felt excited about the future and what it may hold for me. Ironically, as I was preparing the WWR Retreat in March by reading Brené Brown’s “Gifts of Imperfection” it occurred to me that I was not being BRAVE and/or willing to OWN and life my story. I realized I was actually afraid to step away from WWR further even though an inner voice was consistently nudging me to do just that. It was calling me to reprioritize my time and to create space to allow my new crops to grow.
As I read, this time as the voice spoke, I felt peace with this decision, just as it is time for a baby bird to take flight, I was ready to step into my BRAVING and anticipate my “Rise”! I feel “called” to make these changes for “space” and saying “yes” to what this may bring. Although I am not sure what this is yet. I just know that it is time to plant, prune, and let my new crops grow and step into my “Rise”!
It has been the absolute pleasure and blessing working as a founding coach with Wholistic Woman Retreats (WWR) for the past 7 years. The growth and inspiration I have received has been immeasurable. I am forever changed by being immersed in such a warm, encouraging, compassionate community created by the amazing coaches. This has been a “thriving” blessing in my life as well as, pure joy to frequently connect with so many like-minded women, seeing them grow and transform into who they are meant to be as they share their amazing gifts so fearlessly with the world.
Therefore, for now I will not be actively involved in WWR. I don’t know if this is forever or just for a time. I am blessed to receive the loving support of the remaining founding coaches and be offered an open door anytime I want to reconnect. This is such an amazing example of what is available for each person connecting with WWR.
What is your inner voice calling you to do with your time?
I would encourage you to connect with WWR and find your path to BRAVING!
Thank you always for your compassion and authentic connection while understanding my need to be BRAVE and Rise!
Sincerely yours,
Sandie
Today’s Author: Sandie Lynch MS, RDN, LDN, Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer, and Wholistic Wellbeing Coach. Owner and CEO of ATP Consultants, LLC. Sharing 5 Key Principles to Attain Top Performance in living your best life at any age!