I have been living large the last few months summer leading into fall. If you’ve been following our weekly blog or me on Facebook, you’ve seen all this happen.
In August, I lead a fabulous Come Alive workshop with 28 participants with Susan.
In September, I had an amazing retreat in Italy.
In October, I was inducted into the University of Washington Hall of Fame. I was honored to be asked to give the acceptance speech for my 1984 and 1985 National Champion rowing teams. WOW!
In October, I lead another amazing couples’ workshop with Susan.
In November, we were happy to celebrate our nephews wedding in Indianapolis.
It was a splendid go-go time! I was on fire and loving every minute of it!! You might have felt like you were watching Superwoman!
Then, enter the second week of November—I hit a wall. It was as if someone drained all the energy from my body. Plus, I was blanketed with a sense of melancholy.
Why Is this Happening to Me?
At first, I was freaked out – like where’d all my energy go? Why am I feeling so sad? I need to get sh*t! done!!
Susan reminded me that November is often a time of pulling in for me, as it is the anniversary month of my brother’s death.
Then, my good friend Sherrie reminded me that, with grief, the only way out is through.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist Way, who wrote about the ebb and flow of creative energy. (I’m paraphrasing here.) She said you’re in an ebb precisely because you were in the flow. It’s the nature of life ebb and flow.
I Let Myself Rest
With some encouragement, I let myself rest:
I stared at the wall.
I watched Netflix in bed.
I lit candles and took baths.
I took naps (I’m not a napper).
I let myself feel sad, cry, and carry on.
I let myself digest.
Sure, I did some work. I just did it at half speed with lots of breaks in between. Now, two weeks later I have a bit more energy. I feel myself coming back.
How About You?
Do you let yourself slow down? You may not have an anniversary of someone’s death pulling on you to slow down. However, you do have the natural season of fall.
Fall is a natural time of ebbing and letting go. It’s mother nature’s way of cycling through death. As temperatures drop and leaves fall, autumn reminds us to let go. It gets darker earlier and gets brighter later. Our society doesn’t slow down but our natural bodies do.
Thanksgiving
As we head into American Thanksgiving weekend, I sure hope you connect with good friends and eat some yummy food. Maybe you’ll get out there and do some shopping too.
Why not also give yourself some time to slow down, reflect, digest, and rest? Connect to what matters most to you in your life and let go of what doesn’t.
What do you feel grateful for this season?
For me I’m grateful for the family that’s still here with me. I’m also grateful for my good friends that remind me that it’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to not be productive.
Happy Thanksgiving,
CrisMarie & Susan
P.S. Did you see the amazing shoes a client gave me? We’ve supported her building her business to double digit growth every year for the last four years. She is SLAYING IT!
P.P.S Want support leaning into resting and digesting? Or Support growing your business to double digit growth? Check out Susan’s Coaching or my, CrisMarie’s Personal Coaching.
CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke
Coaches, Business Consultants, Speakers and Authors of The Beauty of Conflict
CrisMarie and Susan work leaders and teams, couples in business, and professional women.
They help turnaround dysfunctional teams into high performing, cohesive teams who trust each other, deal with differences directly, and have clarity and alignment on their business strategy so they create great results.
Check out their website: www.thriveinc.com. Connect with CrisMarie and Susan on LinkedIn. Watch their TEDx Talk: Conflict – Use It, Don’t Defuse It! Find your copy of The Beauty of Conflict: Harnessing Your Team's Competitive Advantage here.