Check-In: Learning and Growing
I’ve been quiet on social media a good part of this year. I was feeling disheartened by the condition of the world and needed to step away and heal myself so that I can be ready for what’s next. I was doing this while juggling the following:
- Massively expanded client work (for details on that, visit my LinkedIn profile)
- Taking most of July and August off to recharge and refresh
- Pursuing new learning and growth goals
I’m excited to share some my learning and growth below.
Listening to my Body and Intuition
My word for 2022 is Intuition. I’ve been learning to discover what I truly want and desire and learn to lean into those desires to help nudge me in the direction my life should go. It seems subtle yet it has created big shifts in my life.
For most of us, intuition is pushed out of us by our societal urge to produce and “do.” We put a high value on logic and rational thinking, on what we think but not what we feel. Hunches or instincts have been designed out of us, and subtle cues and nudges are not something to be trusted. So when this new year dawned, I chose to give into the subtle urges, to reconnect with my body and natural instincts to guide my path.
Feeling into our bodies is a revolutionary act. A body that has been affected by trauma feeling into our bodies is not safe, and is a place to escape from. Most of us have had varying degrees of traumas inflicted upon us. There’s much research and books that specifically talk about trauma being stuck in our bodies (like Resmaa Menakem in My Grandmother’s Hands and Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey in What Happened to You?).
My body is an uncomfortable place. When you ask me how I am I almost always talk about what I’m doing over what I’m feeling. When I go to therapy, I have the sensation of my head metaphorically detaching from my body. I spend the most of our time reattaching it while I sort out the thoughts from the feelings and sensations in my body. It gets better each time. Reconnecting with my body helps me pick up on these subtle cues that intuition sends us.
Self Care Leadership Certification
I’m grateful to have met and been in community with the lovely Gracy Obuchowicz these past several months, who wrote the book Selfcarefully. So when she told me she was testing out a new Selfcarefully™ Certification, I leapt at the chance to work with her.
This program is the living embodiment of the statement: “When things change inside you, things change around you.” It’s based on the premise that when we work on ourselves as leaders, we model the behavior for others and can inspire and hold space for change to happen in others.
It’s a leadership program based on authentic self-care and generative, high-value mentorship. The people I found in this inaugural program are thoughtful leaders who desire real change. Our teachers and community challenged, inspired, and supported us becoming more authentic leaders who model and embody self care.
My fellow cohort members spent 12 weeks looking at self care through the four elements: earth, fire, air, and water. We incorporated Ayurvedic, Buddhist meditation, Tarot, yoga, and indigenous cultures’ practices to create a program centered on the body, mind, and soul. The program culminated in a long weekend retreat in the mountains of West Virginia. Which, after not being in a physical space with others for a long time felt like a great balm I needed.
I so appreciated reading All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks in the program, which cemented in me the fact that the best guide for self love and care is to give myself the love I dream about receiving from others. She adds:
“When we learn to love ourselves, we are able to reach out and express that care to other people from a place of joy and fulfillment rather than emotional lack.”
It’s opened up a whole new expansive concept of love in my mind. And it makes me wonder: in what ways can I and we show love in all aspects of our life, especially at work?
Tarot and Intuition
Another practice that I have picked up since completing this Selfcarefully certification is pulling Tarot cards to help tap into my intuition. Tarot cards and the symbols on the cards help us tap into our consciousness that helps guide our journey through life spiritually and practically.
The cards provides insights into the truths of our higher self, evolved awareness of what we already know deep within us. While the specific origin of Tarot is unknown, some documentation dates back to Europe in the 1300s. Tarot in the form we know today started in the 17th century. Source: Wikipedia
Intuition is the main vehicle that we use to read Tarot cards. Starting out, we ask a question for inquiry. We breathe and tap into our intuition as we choose the cards to “answer” what we need or want. With its structure, we’re able to extract meaning and interpret that for our own lives. Our subconscious then becomes conscious motion for us to move in the world in new ways. I think of it as intuition in action.
A recent inquiry to the cards was to give me guidance for this time where I’m reassessing some options. I pulled the Ace of Wands:
The Ace of Wands card brings you pure potential…Ideas are flowing to you motivating and inspiring you to pursue a new path. You’re open to receiving new opportunities that align with your higher self. A whole world of possibilities available to you…Let your energy dedication and motivation be your guides.
If you are looking for a sign about whether this is the right project then the ace of wands is a clear YES…Trust that this experience will open up you up to even more possibilities. Source: Biddy Tarot
Big flame energy, intuition, and an abundance mindset has been awakened in me.
Big Future Energy
So that brings me to my latest endeavor, which I’ll be starting at the end of September, I’ve become a Founding Member of the Institute of Equitable Design and Justice, which is part of the Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB).
Right after a few contracts ended and I was looking for new opportunities, I got a message from Antionette Carroll (the founder and CEO of CRXLAB), to join the Institute. One door closes, and another door opens, they say.
For those of you who have read my book, I feature Antionette and the CRXLAB as a key case study on an organization building empathy, humility, and equity in the world. I frequently reference CRXLAB’s Equity-Centered Community Design (ECCD) Field Guide in many of my interviews and projects. I’m a super fan of the work, and strive each day to be a “Redesigner for Justice” as they call it.
I met Antionette right after she had just launched the Creative Reaction Lab when she was making her first trip to DC when I responded to her message in the Starting Bloc community. She’s been back many times since sharing her work, and I’ve loved seeing her work expand out into the world. I’m grateful that our lives have crossed paths, and excited to take this next step in the journey to grow and learn from her team. I’ll be posting more as I go deeper into the community and curriculum, so this won’t be the last time you hear from me on this journey.
