Last year I worked with a brand strategist to identify the guiding principles of my business. While identifying values and purpose is something that I’ve helped dozens of clients and students do through my 1:1 coaching and workshops, this was the first time that I really sat down and thought about the undercurrent of why I operate my business the way I do...
And let me tell you—it’s absolutely wild to see how your experiences come together to create your reality.
Below is the articulation of 30+ laps around the sun; 100,000s of tears, laughs, and cringes; countless realizations and discoveries; and a life well-lived so far. The principles are grouped into three main pillars and each serves as the foundation upon which I navigate my day-to-day experiences and how I interact and support my clients. My hope in sharing them with you is that they light something within you, too so that you can live your best life.
Let’s get into it.
PILLAR 1: The Audacity to Imagine
We honor that we have one wild, precious life. Our fundamental understanding of the fullness that life has to offer lies in the awareness that we are only limited by what we believe we are capable of and what we believe we deserve.
1. We hold multiple Truths
We understand that everyone’s lived experiences shapes their Truth. We question what we know and are committed to learning and unlearning, discovering and implementing, and redefining the stories we believe about ourselves and each other along the way.
2. Possibilities vs Mandates
While there is validity in the paths others take, there is no “one-size-fits-all” model for life. We look to others as examples of what’s possible, not as mandates of what’s required and we give ourselves permission to identify the path that fits our life, our desires, our needs, and our circumstances.
3. The best remains to be seen
We understand that the key to life is not to live without fear, but to feel the fear and move forward anyway. We find certainty in trusting that we will be okay regardless of the outcome and take comfort in knowing that the worst that can happen is “no” and the best that can happen remains to be seen.
PILLAR 2: Be Mindful of You
It is imperative to examine and check in with self frequently. This allows us to evaluate where we are investing our time and energy, reflect on areas of opportunities and growth, and celebrate personal success. Discernment and humility are our best tools for insight.
4. Say it with your whole chest
We do not rely on cop outs and soften our Truths for the comfort of others. Rather than playing devil’s advocate or waiting for permission and validation, we express our desires, thoughts, and needs with integrity, we stand by what we say, and we are transparent and remain true to ourselves through the good, the bad, and the ugly.
5. Intentionally curate your life
There is no shortage of opinions and commentary about what we “could” and “should” be doing. Rather than striving to do, have, and be all of the things for all of the people all of the time, we are intentional about how we invest our time, energy, and resources. In short, we are economical with the f*cks we give.
6. There is always a lesson to be learned
Regret is the act of judging previous experiences with today’s perspective. We understand that we do the best we can with what we have at any given moment and reflect on our experiences with grace and compassionate curiosity to see what we can apply moving forward and what we can let go of.
PILLAR 3: Clarity ↔ Certainty
We believe that the “how” becomes evident when we know our “why” and “what”. Our convictions, beliefs, and reasoning shape our actions and decisions. This cycle is what keeps us continuing on our path regardless of detours along the way.
7 . We’ve had the answers all along
No one can truly know us better than we can know ourselves. For all the uncertainty that exists in life, we lean on a deep inner-knowing to guide our steps. We accept the questions that come up and find joy and see the beauty in seeking the answers within. Intuition is second to none.
8. We are our own heroes
It is our responsibility to create and protect the life we want, no one else’s. Rather than looking to other people to give us permission and validate our choices, needs, and desires, we accept that we are where we are at any given moment and take accountability for our actions, inaction, decisions, and indecision. We are the end-all, be-all in our lives.
9. It is more than what we do
Our value lies in our very existence and is not defined by our productivity. Our worthiness is dictated by who we are, not what we do. And above all, we do not need to have, do, or be more than what we currently have, do, and are in order to “earn” rest, compassion, ease, and care.
So there you have it. A comprehensive list of how—and why—I do what I do in the way that I do it.
Because when we work together, it’s not about me giving you the answers. It’s about me helping you uncover the answers you already have for the vision you want to make a reality.
Find yourself resonating with any of these and want to inject them into your life? Let’s talk. Book a sales call to learn about how we can work together and build on this foundation.