Propping

Ayoka Partners celebrated her third year recently. Similar to how we do birthdays in our household, some years are birthday party years and others aren’t. This year, I marked the milestone quietly, but meaningfully with a LinkedIn tribute.

This celebration also aligned with a series of grounding conversations — from a Black Coaches Circle to a group of interim/fractional leaders to a friend who is in year 10 of her business. These spaces have reminded me that this is far from being a solo journey.

Resting

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

It’s one thing to have my own rest practice. But my Mommy too? Come thru!

My mom and I spent a day at The Rest Spot in June for a delayed Mother’s Day celebration. She’s retired — and has been for the last six years — so it’s easy to assume she doesn’t “need rest.”

But she does. Her days are packed between managing household expenses, grocery shopping, working out, bouncing between appointments for herself and my 91-year-old grandma, and making time to invest in her passion projects.

She described how her time in the Sensory Suite created a clearing. As her body slowed down, her mind eventually followed suit. She’s returned to The Rest Spot by herself and has made it a monthly practice. Go Mama!

How can you “gift” rest to someone in your life? Simply taking something off their plate counts too.

Remembering

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

I read an announcement about someone in my network being appointed to a role and it made me gasp. Can I be honest? It was a mixed gasp — of admiration and shock.

The role is what many would call an opportunity of a lifetime. Long, storied organization. High profile. Impactful. Culture shifting. I was having a hard time reconciling the person who managed me 20 years ago with the person now stepping into this role. But she’s no longer that person, and I’m not either.

We have both changed, drastically. I thought about the tendency to discount progress when we’re not there to witness every step of the journey. Change happens in the dark, especially so when you’ve fallen out of touch with someone. She is the person who is best positioned to advance this critical cause. I missed the in between, but now I can’t wait to celebrate this version of her as she steps into this incredible opportunity.

Which talents and gifts from the older version of you are you grateful still show up today?

Recasting/Realizing

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

This was a super last minute switch up. I had made plans to attend a local conference that I’ve known about since the spring. I would go on the first day, drive home, and then return for day two.

And then it hit me: bad idea. The whole point was to be present and going back and forth between home was the exact opposite of that, particularly because my littles never make it easy for me to leave home alone. So I booked a one-night hotel stay.

I’m so glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed doing things I rarely get to do by myself. Like eating dinner in bed while watching Sex and the City 2. Golden!

This last minute shift is one example of the many other micro moments we “let slide” instead of claiming a path that brings more ease and enjoyment.

When was the last time you made a last minute pivot that fueled your joy? Been awhile? How can you find one this week?

Fuel from stillness is allowing me to prop others up even as I’m being propped up, and notice how small decisions can make a sizable difference.

The pause is not just about you. It’s space that allows you to look up and around, and find more connection and joy as you move toward your destination.

Joyfully,

Elandria