On your Way There

Summer is here. How are you finding stillness, even on the way to the next thing? The less-rushed mornings are a welcomed respite for me even if the different camp locations and pick up times from week to week are keeping me on my toes. 🤪

Resting

An invitation to slow down long enough to hear what your mind, body, and heart are telling you.

I was heading to a hang that had been on the calendar for months. I was very much looking forward to it, but also felt weighed down. The list of things to do was long and I was short on time.

As I gripped the steering wheel and the tasks rolled over in my mind, I stopped. Not literally. I was already running late. But I stilled my mind and looked around. What I saw felt like being cloaked in beauty and abundance.

There were no cars in front or behind me on this long two-lane highway. To my left and right were towering, lush green trees. The sky above could not have been more perfect with just the right amount of blue, speckles of white, and glistening sunshine.

I was being ushered into my next experience. I turned off the music and took it in. Even though I was still in motion, my mind had found ease. The hang was going to be amazing no matter what, but the journey there readied me to receive what was in store.

When did you last find stillness while still in motion?

Remembering

An invitation to reconnect with your brilliance - the wisdom, creativity, and magic within and around you.

If you looked at my Google Notes you would find one called “Big Idea” that I wrote two years before starting Ayoka Partners:

- Become an executive coach

- Provide support for the 22 year old me

- Mentoring with a lens toward knowing yourself more deeply to navigate professional landscape

- Support focused on sense of self, earning potential, and skill gaps

- Finding purpose and peace...now

It hasn't played out exactly as written — I'm an executive coach and sabbatical guide and I have yet to work with a 22 year old as my target skews toward more seasoned executives. The other bullets, chills!

I had forgotten all about this note until it popped up in a search result. What I love so much about finding it is that it’s evidence of a seed that was planted long ago and is still being nourished today. For instance, some of the questions posed in the note are being answered this year:

- Investment — shifting from individual to institutional-level investments

- Modality — incorporating group coaching along with 1:1

- Partnerships — identifying strategic, values-aligned partners that serve as a pipeline

All of this. From me. Back then, I took the time to write it down. And today, it marks a moment of celebration for what came before. And a push to keep remembering forward.

What seed have you planted that deserves to be remembered forward?

Recasting/Realizing

An invitation to imagine the life you desire and pursue it with joy as your compass.

It was two days before our upcoming intergenerational family trip with my parents, husband, and kids. I could barely sleep. I was anxious.

I got up and journaled. First, I named what lingered from last year’s trip: disappointment, frustration, annoyance, even anger. Then I envisioned what I wanted to be true this year: flow, connection, flexibility, laughter.

I shared my hopes for our trip with my mom, including the role I’d like her to play (and not play). She listened intently and deeply considered what I revealed.

It worked. On the whole (because kids gone kid!), our trip was an easeful, magical time of wonder, joy, and connection. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Try this: Before your next trip, gathering, or hard conversation — what do you want to be true? Write it down.

The moments when you’re moving towards something carry meaning. Stop. Notice. Receive. I’d love to hear what stillness is revealing on your way there.

Joyfully,

Elandria