I originally shared this as October’s newsletter. I adapted it for my blog after receiving significant positive feedback. My monthly newsletters are released on the first Tuesday of each month and contain a monthly update (with lessons woven in), a “lesson of the month”, and links to features and resources you may find supportive. To receive future (free) newsletters as they are released, click here to sign up! Note: this 4ish minute read is a little longer than my typical newsletters that run around 3 minutes.

Hi from the Pacific Northwest!

Monthly Update

October isn’t an easy month to talk about.

It was a really hard month for so many people. Lots of undeniably terrible stuff has happened. So many innocent people have lost their lives, many of them in brutal ways.

For a while I thought it was important for me, personally, to learn all that I could about what was going on in the Middle East. I thought I had to take a stance and decide exactly what was right and what was wrong.

But every time I would look at the news, or the news feed, it seemed to make my own situation worse.

I’d get SO angry, sad, or confused. I’d convince myself that I had to learn more and find differing points of view. I’d get sucked into a news spiral, and I’d get angry at the world.

Eventually, I realized that NO ONE was benefiting from my expanded education. Certainly not me, nor the people in the Middle East.

So I stopped scrolling and started increasing my PQ reps to keep my mind from spiraling out. I recorded a tool to help others do the same in 3 minutes, which you can access here. And I started using this sleep hypnosis by Brooke Ansley to get my sleep back on track. Wouldn’t you know, that made everything else better, too.

With my regained energy and focus I was able to take actions that I believed would make a difference.

I donated to causes that support Israeli, Palestinian, and Ukrainian civilians suffering from the impacts of war. I checked on my Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, and Palestinian friends and let them know I was thinking of them. And from a more resourced place I was able to accept that it was okay… that it wouldn’t hurt anyone… if I continued to pursue little moments of joy.

I had a lot of those this month, too. I got to witness two people I love get married and celebrate the occasion with college friends. Then I began to make my way back west from Colorado. I decided to take a detour to see friends in Seattle before making my way to northern California. As a result, I got to soak in hot springs in Wyoming, delight in changing foliage, see all sorts of cool animals and experience both Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. And once in Washington I got to reconnect with several old friends.

I acknowledge that my experience is a very privileged one compared to those who are living in fear or who have lost loved ones in any of the current global conflicts. If you are in one of these situations, or if you’re just plain scared or angry, you are not alone. My heart is with you.

I want you to know that if you are able to, there is nothing wrong with finding moments of relief. Learning to integrate tools such as PQ practice, meditation, prayer, and exercise are ways to access those moments of relief. As is processing with certain friends, a coach, or a therapist. In moments when we feel helpless, there is always an opportunity to close our eyes and send love, peace, hope, or whatever you want in any direction. For some this may be a healthy act of rebellion against injustice and harm.

Lucrative Lessons from Life

I’ve believed in the power of coaching for a long time. It’s why I got into the business myself, after working with a life coach led to a level of joy and satisfaction I hadn’t known was possible. And it’s why I hired a new coach a few months ago to help me level up again. I’ve known for a while that it was one of the best investments I’ve made, qualitatively, but never had quantitative proof on the return on investment until October.

My coach, Irina P, is incredible. Like all good coaches she helps me see things in myself that I don’t always realize are there, and calls me out on my bullsh*t when it pops up.

It can be really hard to see your own lies and limiting beliefs because they tend to develop slowly and sneakily, so it’s easy to convince yourself that they’re true. Sometimes it takes someone else to serve as that mirror to see how we’re holding ourselves back, and my coach is really good at doing that for me.

Due to some life and world circumstances I began to sense insecurity creeping in and my confidence taking a dip. I hadn’t realized how much this accumulated over a few days, and that it was starting to affect my work.

Until my coach called me out.

I was preparing for a discovery call with someone who would be a perfect candidate for coaching with me. They knew what it was like to work with me and were convinced they wanted to. Yet I was still telling my coach that I didn’t think they’d want to pay my rates. I asked my coach what she thought about my idea to offer them a scaled back package that *might* be more in line with their expectations, forgetting that I had no idea what those expectations actually were.

My coach checked me hard. “If you were in the client’s shoes, what would you want? Wouldn’t you want to decide for yourself?”

Boom. Yes, of course I would. That one reflection, from someone outside of myself, was all it took to shift my perspective, offer my full package, and make over $2,000 more than I would have if left to my own devices. My client would have suffered too, because they likely wouldn’t have gotten the level of 1:1 support they desired; they wouldn’t even know it was an option.

In other words, that single coaching call paid for a good portion of the package I purchased from Irina. And it will keep paying off, financially, in future discovery calls. Not to mention the immeasurable impact it has had on my confidence and self doubt!

And thus we have this month’s lesson: Personal development isn’t an expense. It’s an investment.

I’ve seen the financial benefit of coaching in others’ lives as well. Like in my one client who used to constantly spend money on hotel rooms, in an attempt to help themself escape. Their coaching package was indirectly paid for in their first session, where we did some energy healing that enabled them to start relaxing at home.

This might seem like an extensive sales pitch, but it’s not. I’m encouraging you to invest in yourself; not in me.

Don’t get me wrong; if you think my vibe is what you desire in a coach I’d LOVE to meet with you. If that’s the case, please go ahead and book a free discovery call; you’ll even get a free session before I ask you to commit. But if I’m not the right coach for you (maybe you like me too much 😉), I’d be happy to refer you to another coach, before or after that call. You can also check out Irina’s website all on your own.

Or maybe there’s another form of personal development that works best for you. Personal development doesn’t HAVE to come with a coach. Just make sure to invest in something that you’re going to stick with. If you’re the type of person who needs others to hold you accountable, you may want to rethink the self-paced course or Peloton.

News and Updates:

Click here for my FREE 3 Minute Reset Meditation:

Most of us have such busy lives that it’s easy to forget to take small moments to pause and recenter. This brief meditation will help to minimize overthinking and focus your mind so you can feel a sense of peace and clarity amidst the hustle.

Take it from Jay who did it and said, “It just let me reset. 3 minutes is a perfect time for anyone who's really busy in their day, their mind is wandering and they recognize that they're spinning and they need a quick but sudden kick back into centering."

Navigating October's Turmoil: Finding Peace and Making Money