Over the last decade, there have been 4 pivotal moments in my life where restoring myself to a place of feeling grounded was essential to my wellbeing:
Ending my corporate career of 25+ years
Adopting our son
Receiving my ADHD diagnosis at the age of 48
The global Covid pandemic
In all of these instances, my life felt disrupted. How I connected to myself and others, the problems/opportunities that drove what I felt called to create, and the way that I contributed to the world - everything shifted in a fundamental way. My role, daily rhythms, routines, priorities, processes, people, places – all of the things that once predictably guided me through my days without having to give much thought suddenly required my time, attention and ingenuity.
Years ago, after leaving the corporate world, I took a cue from nature. Two months into a 6-month sabbatical, I felt the most lost I've ever felt in my life. Without a role, a team, a schedule, a structure - I was untethered. On a guided forest therapy walk in the Rocky Mountains, I found my way in the remnants of a forest fire. Here, I saw that the comfort I'd once felt in my 'old life' was actually an overgrown forest, so choked with busy-ness that it was dying. It took a 'forest fire' in my life (disruptive change) to make room for renewal and growth. With the fire out, deep roots and seeds lay waiting in the rich soil. Like this forest, I didn't rush. Instead, I decided to grow my life on purpose, based on my basic needs and current priorities. Applying all I knew from personal leadership, coaching and forest therapy, I created a simple method to become and stay grounded. As an adult with ADHD, this method has been especially important to my wellbeing. As a mother of a son with ADHD, this is my gift to him.
When the pandemic started, my husband and I applied my Life on Purpose method to ourselves. For the first 6 months, I decided that the 3 things that were most important to me (my 'touch-stones') were: Simplicity, Financial Stability and Making a Difference. All of my priorities were guided by these 3 words. Decision making was easy, even in complicated and difficult situations. I proactively planned how to restore and maintain balance for my 3 'touch-stones' while in a calm state-of-mind, allowing me to notice and respond with clarity during moments of stress and disruption.
Over the last year, I've simplified my Feel Grounded practice into only the essential elements: Assessing people for what matters most to them, guiding them through what's in and out of balance in these areas, designing and practicing ways of maintaining balance and a rhythm in their daily life, regular coaching to help them stay on course while they grow as a person, and remotely-guided forest therapy walks to calm their minds, connect to their senses and restore their wellbeing.
Today, I help people live each day as a person who is grounded. They know what matters most to them. They have a rhythm that keeps them moving forward in a way that feels predictable, regardless of disruption and uncertainty. They make choices and set priorities with confidence.
As my clients find themselves feeling grounded, hopefully they can help others in their own way too.
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