I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived...I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life...
- Henry David Thoreau (emphasis my own)
Dear Friends,
In the middle of January I went into the woods for 72+ hours of “Do Not Disturb” time. Pure bliss. I don’t know what time of day I rose or when I went to sleep, or ate. I moved intuitively throughout the day and never saw a phone or computer screen. What I did see is how the waxing moon moves across the sky. How many shooting stars can be seen in a glance. How the fire crackles and snaps, fueled by just enough space and logs. And how much clarity and ease comes from letting go. Sweet surrender without a twinge of guilt, absolute full permission to receive. I extended my daily reflection practices over the full day, reading books, meditating, journaling over 100 pages, preparing healthy vegetable-based meals, and indulging in the pleasure and wisdom of Mother Nature.
In this state of awareness, presence, and reflection, I asked myself “what it is that is wanting to emerge from me, who am I becoming?” Am I fully awake and aware as I journey through this life? What gift is hidden in me to be shared as my contribution to shaping this extraordinary world? I have a practice (not a perfection) of paying attention to my thoughts and reactions, my habits and patterns, my defaults that may not always be the most nourishing ways of being, so that I might witness them without judgement (practicing!), become aware, and nurture more nourishing habits, boundaries, more creative and fulfilling ways of being. A practice that is unfashionable and an ill fit on the hamster wheel of busyness in business and exhaustion we’ve come to unconsciously adopt as our way of being and leading.
What do the meanings of stillness, surrender, pause, presence, reflection, rest, have to do with leadership? To me it has everything to do with a new way of leading - and living - more purposefully, collectively, and compassionately. A fire cannot burn without a space equal to the fuel, the spaces in between.
For the full essay READ HERE on LinkedIn.
Has exhaustion become your state of being? What if you were to gift yourself permission to surrender, and to do so regularly? How bold! A radical act of courage in today’s society, particularly in the west, and it is part of a new way of leading. A way that is the antidote we need in order to create the conditions for sustainably thriving humans, planet, and businesses.
If we don’t begin now, in this exhausting period begging us to slow down, then when? And who will we be on the other side if we don’t answer the call? What might we be risking by not pausing to listen to what our bodies are telling us, pleading with us for?
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For the full essay on life x leadership and courageously unlocking the secrets of stillness,
READ HERE on LinkedIn.
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A PERSONAL STORY & NEWS COMING SOON
This concept of slowing down, for the sake of learning, creativity, rest, wisdom, ease, freedom, peace, even to “speed up,” etc. (there are almost infinite benefits) is not a new one for me, but it is one I have to consciously practice regularly as I un-learn old habits. I was once, a very long time ago, voted “most stressed” by my peers in the pursuit of straight A's and then other "successful life achievements” and labels to feel whole, loved, worthy, accomplished, enough. But those externalities to which we cling to shape an identity in the world aren't really the path to the true self, purpose, meaning, and real fulfillment, are they?
For me, the essence of this concept of infinite abundance and discovery in stillness is embodied in what the term “hemitah, hemitah” means to me, or “slowly, slowly” in Sinhalese.
I first visited Sri Lanka in 2018 for an intentional 2-week vacation in the middle of a 2 month supply chain work trip to other countries in Southeast Asia as part of my role as Global Director, Corporate Responsibility for Cole Haan. I intuitively knew to get the most out of a multi-month trip for me and my company I needed a way-station, something just for me and total unplugging - though I'd never attempted something like this before.
In Sri Lanka I was learning to surf - and practicing yin yoga for the first time - and was constantly being given the “slow down” hand signal and the gentle words, hemitah, hemitah, by my coaches. It is horribly uncomfortable to learn a new sport as an adult, and here I was alone, far from home (my longest solo trip yet), and totally out of my element. I really wanted to prove to myself - and the world - that I could DO this well. I’d pop up quickly and tumble right off the board into the Indian Ocean just as fast. I was forcing it, like, grrr, I’m gonna GET this! I even popped on my barre playlist and practiced my technique in the yoga shala when the other women were napping. It wasn’t until my next trip (I visited 7 times in 2 years...but that story is for another time) that I began to be more fluid, less frustrated with myself, and let go of the need for perfection and speed. How? I had started to travel home to myself, glimpsing who I really am on the inside vs the outside, and practicing compassion with her.
“Hemitah, hemitah” has become a powerful metaphor for some of my hardest life lessons in the past few years, and is a mantra I live by. As a reminder, I even had a sea turtle tattooed on my left shoulder, with an intentionally imperfect flipper and a full moon rising. Another story for another time.
So, go gently with yourself as we step into this new year. Just Be. Know that is enough. Hemitah, hemitah.
Speaking of...exciting news coming soon!! Stay tuned.
Kindest regards,
