YOUR “WHY”

 I often crowned myself “The Poor Me Grumpy Queen.” My world had diminished to a small area of existence, with only a few resources at my reach

A new year injects energy and hope into our hearts. Many of us aspire to have a more joyous, more impactful, and more fulfilling New Year in comparison to the previous year.  

It is vital to evaluate the past year in a comprehensive, in-depth, and positive way to achieve and sustain success in the coming year. Both personal and business performance reviews identify what worked well and what could be improved.   

As I reflected on efforts that produced positive results, time spent on celebrating achievements, essential lessons learned from life, and entrepreneurial experiences as well as other criteria, I found myself dwelling on my neck and back pain as an excuse for not having achieved some of my goals in 2019.   

To move forward, I usually fall back to meditation. When I connected with silence, I traveled back in time and remembered how difficult 2018 had been.  I rediscovered that both the successes and failures in 2018 helped me understand the success process and impact of continuous improvement to making dreams a reality.  I used compassion and love in 2018 to overcome challenges; I need to do the same in 2020.  In the hope of inspiring love and compassion, I am sharing my 2019 Reflection.   

2019 Reflection! 

Valuable! What a critical year it has been! 

Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, “The Golden Circle,” introduced a defining moment in my life. If you haven’t seen it, you really should check it out. Because of watching it, I explored my current business thinking to see if I remained focused on my “WHY”– personal, people, and planet connection and evolution. 2019 tested me. Upon reflection, I realized I have indeed stayed in touch with my “WHY.” 

 In August 2015, I broke my right arm in multiple places, and the joint became calcified. I have to say that this injury humbled me to a level that I never imagined. I did not realize that I was taking “EVERYDAY LIFE” for granted. However, while I was injured: 

 I often crowned myself “The Poor Me Grumpy Queen.” My world had diminished to a small area of existence, with only a few resources at my reach. I set up a recliner in my living room because my ability to move without excruciating pain was intense. I sat there by day, and slept (or tried to) by night. I could no longer drive, write, type, prepare food, shower, change clothes, or get up from that darn chair. I felt like an invalid.     

I intensely desired the ability to do simple chores such as opening a car door, getting up unassisted, eating without dropping crumbs all over, sleeping on a bed instead of a recliner, and listening to music instead of the painful drumbeat of my arm. 

I repeatedly crumbled under the weight of the crown and made efforts to rise, but only to crumble again in frustration. 

I felt like I was experiencing a full spectrum of emotions, swinging from low to high, as I learned to live by the phrase “necessity is the mother of invention.”  During my reflective, positive waves, I began to deploy the neuroscience and biochemistry tactics of my training and research. These were to garner my mind, emotions, and actions for the arduous journey of recovery. 

I began to allow myself to be vulnerable, to eat the frogs and ask for help. Surprisingly, the relationship bonds with my closest friends and colleagues became very strong.  The more I asked for help, the more people offered.  It was a very eye-opening concept that I began to explore in depth.  I wondered what made these great people so willing to help me, even beyond what I was asking for. 

I reached further into my shrunken circle of assets, asking how I could understand a never-explored depth of value from each resource.  My friends, smartphone, experiences and learning, meditation and mindfulness, and even that darned recliner became a pillar of exploration. Failed efforts did not matter as long as I got back on my feet again. I began to feel very fortunate that I had these incredible resources and their new offerings of support and hope. I learned the actual difference between acceptance and giving up. 

I was fortunate that people cared deeply for me. When people asked me how I broke my arm, I shared three stories for them to pick from: I was skydiving and fell on a herd of buffaloes, I was involved in a bar fight, or I landed on the boat while tubing in the lake. It taught me to shift the sympathy to humor and give back a moment of laughter to friends and family when I thought I did not have anything to give. 

I had a misconception that my injury stole a year out of my life. It gave me back years of learning, growth, and momentum in this short period. I experienced a shift in perspective and actions where I was able to receive and give back. I supported my relationships by listening to their woes and challenges as well as help them in their personal and professional growth. 

I crossed the challenges, gained a more in-depth clarity about my vision, published books on Amazon, and created two of my best philosophies yet – The Constellation Principle and Building the Momentum. I continued to interview people for my radio show, forged new and more profound partnerships, and continued creating science-based courses for clients.  What I thought might be the death knell for my business became a wave of creativity and ingenuity that kept my company alive and thriving. 

I was also able to keep somewhat of a healthy life with the help of friends and family.  I spent quality time with them and continued with my own physical and mental self-care. 

As the end of the year approached, in reflection, I was pleasantly surprised that I kept my sanity through it all, and indeed stayed true to my “WHY.” I had massive personal evolution, and by continuing to serve my relationships with new and ever more insightful offerings, I contributed to the growth of our great planet through all of you as well.