As Labor day approaches and summer winds down (for those of us on the east coast in the US), we prepare to jump back into fall with renewed energy...and maybe some trepidation. Why? Some may be re-evaluating their business, life, career or some other major life-impacting decisions.
Summer isn't over yet...is it?
I LOVE summer!! As a summer baby, it has been an amazing and non-stop time celebrating my 50th birthday season (yes, it was truly a season). It started in April with a soul journey in Sedona, then on to a variety of music festivals and concerts which included Jazz Fest in NOLA and Electric Forest in Michigan, squeezing in a quick show in Manhattan to see Moulin Rouge celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary. The season continued with a beautiful weekend teaching yoga at a Buddhist retreat in Stoney Point, NY and a girl’s wellness weekend in New Hope, PA, ending my birthday season in August for my father’s special birthday in Alaska where we saw all sorts of wildlife and got to experience the awe of its mountains, glaciers, animals, rainforests, people and more. I'm so very grateful for every opportunity and experience along the way, sharing special moments with family and dear friends, celebrating, laughing and rejoicing in this beautiful thing we call life.
So with all that fun, where is the challenge? The anxiety? The trepidation? It's in getting back to work and energetically diving in with new (and sometimes scary) ideas and strategies! Throughout the summer I’ve continued supporting my clients with their websites and online presence, teaching yoga and more recently, truly connecting with my purpose. Service and support in the fitness and wellness spaces for small businesses, while figuring out how to bring them together under the same umbrella. While what that will look like is still very much a work in progress, as digital marketing, businesses and the consumer are always changing, so I need to make sure my team has the knowledge and experience to support them. This summer I was fortunate to have an intern who helped in developing new ideas and content for SLC and Reflections, thank you Brielle! In the coming weeks we’ll be putting out some new blogs and social media posts to bring you into the fold on some big things that are already being tested (i.e. SearchGPT!), how SEO is continues to evolve and things to think about for your small business (including a new offer!).
Passion & all the things
What makes ‘all the things’ challenging is life, …from juggling family responsibilities, kids, job, school, sports, career, passion, hobbies, fitness, commute, car repair, health (mental and physical), how DO we do it all? There are lots of solutions and everyone has an answer but the biggest one that keeps coming up for me is “the pause”. If you notice something, take a moment and embrace it. Perhaps it’s a beautiful flower or how green the trees and grass are in your area. Maybe it’s your reaction to being cutoff on the highway, your kids smile doing something they love, or possibly something you did for yourself that brought you joy or perhaps overcoming a fear or obstacle that allowed you to embrace (and maybe love) something new that you hadn't thought possible.
For me, recently it was a helicopter ride.
Fear? WHAT fear?
I have always dreamed of riding in a helicopter, for years I wanted to take one around the NYC skyline and couldn’t work up the courage. Then came our trip to Alaska, when our family decided to take a ride to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. My initial reaction was total fear (see first picture in collage on the right), my stomach sank and my sister knew it. We talked about it and I decided right then to confront my fear. I mean, when would this opportunity come around again?
I have no problem flying on pretty much any plane, including the small prop plane we took from Juneau to Gustavus (amazing views!!!), but helicopters are different. The way they take off and land, the weightless feeling and the turns. I did some research and found some great stuff online that helped. Every family member but me had been on one before, so that was comforting. The day of the ride it was really (REALLY) cloudy and we weren’t sure if we would be able to go…I was nervous about that too. We had a very limited schedule while in Juneau so if we couldn’t go at our scheduled time, our options were limited and we all wanted to experience the glacier. But we did and it was awe-inspiring! From the crevasses on the glacier to drinking glacier water, it was truly an experience I will never forget and am so thankful my sister put it all together. Additional thanks to our pilot, 21-year search and rescue veteran, for making the experience so fantastic (and for his service) and taking us the long way back so we could enjoy more of the gorgeous Alaskan scenery.
The picture I took of myself is to remember conquering that fear, to be able to come back to it and what I had overcome. You may see both fear and excitement in that picture, you would be correct.
Unlike something as extreme as a helicopter ride, earlier this summer when I taught yoga at the Buddhist retreat, there was some nervousness. I had never done anything like it before. What if they didn’t like my class or it didn’t align with their programming? Fortunately, the folks at Soshimsa know where they’re doing. They scheduled my class on the second day so I could observe the retreat, meet the attendees, interact with the team, learn a little tai chi, as well as get a better understanding of Buddhism and learn more about the purpose of the retreat. Through interaction and observation, I was able to calm my nerves and create a custom practice that fell inline with the feel of the retreat, getting the following feedback from hosts.
“Myong-Ahn Sunim and I were very impressed and pleased and the participants couldn't get enough and definitely want to have you back again. It was perfect and the way you presented was just what I was hoping for, especially for someone like myself who had no yoga experience.” - Wendy B
Now that you've gotten an inside look at some of the fears and nerves that hit me this summer, how can those stories help support you? What are you evaluating now? How will you help your dreams become a reality? What will you do to help you in confronting your fears, apprehension or blocks to pursuing your passion? For me, these things take time, practice and patience (all of it can be a rollercoaster!). From corporate trainings to yoga classes, it's all about being comfortable in front of people, which takes time and just getting out there and doing it. The Buddhist retreat was a new opportunity, which tested my courage, skills and more. I've been speaking in front of groups for over 20 years and still get butterflies. Start small or jump in, just pause and breathe because you can do it!
Does figuring out your Fear, Passion or Purpose have you feeling stuck? We've got 5 questions that may help.
This Labor Day, take a few moments to think about what lights you up. Maybe it's something you can earn a living at and maybe it's something that keeps you calm on stressful days. Whatever it is, we hope you find joy and peace on this Labor Day weekend so that you can dive into fall doing what you love. For me, it's been connecting more deeply with my passion to help others. Whether that be through yoga and wellness, my inspirational journal 'Reflections' (and the angel cards and second journal coming soon) or helping small businesses get more visible online, I'm excited about these labors of love and can't wait to share them with you.
"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." ~ Gail Devers, American Athlete (1992 Olympic gold medal in the 100m and gold medals in the 100m and 4x100m in 1996)
Even if you're not ready right now to examine your fear, passion and purpose, maybe you can examine what might be holding you back? Perhaps these five questions will help:
What did you used to dream about doing in your career? It doesn't matter what your age is or was, whether you were age 10 or are age 90.
How does your current work align with your core values and personal goals?
What aspects of your work make you feel most energized, fulfilled, supported and secure?
How does your work contribute to a sense of purpose or impact on others?
Are you continuously learning and growing in your field, or do you feel stagnant?
Maybe these help or maybe you need to check the internet to dig deeper. :) Whatever it is for you, give yourself the time and grace to figure out what lights you up, presents purpose and makes you feel fulfilled.
Wishing you a beautiful Labor Day weekend!
Sarah
At Second Life Careers & Solutions, our core values are Service, Loyalty & Compassion and the founder, Sarah Hannah is pursuing her passions and purpose in the support of others. Sarah is best-selling author and multi-passionate entrepreneur that pivots. She wants to work with you because she's passionate about helping you with where you are right now, embodying a spirit of boundless curiosity and diverse creative pursuits that define the essence of a modern-day Renaissance woman. She loves helping small businesses get visibility by creating a solid online presence through websites, google business solutions, creative content and SEO.
She is grateful to all her clients and colleagues for their trust and support in helping them with their businesses and would love to help you in support of your business, please feel free to reach out to her directly by clicking here.
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