Stand Anyway

Not everyone will clap when you stand.

Some will question you.
Some will misunderstand you.
Some will grow quiet when you speak up.

Stand anyway.

Because confidence is not built on approval.
It is built on conviction.

There will be moments this week when it would be easier to shrink.
To soften your truth.
To laugh something off.
To say “it’s fine” when it isn’t.

But leadership, in business, in family, in life, requires backbone.

You do not need consensus to be clear.
You do not need applause to be aligned.
You do not need permission to honor your values.

Standing does not mean being loud.
It does not mean being aggressive.
It does not mean being defensive.

It means being rooted.

Rooted in what you believe.
Rooted in what you will and will not tolerate.
Rooted in who you are becoming.

Some rooms will shift when you do.
Some relationships will stretch.
Some conversations will feel uncomfortable.

Growth often does.

This week, stand anyway.

Stand in the meeting.
Stand in the boundary.
Stand in the hard conversation.
Stand in your standards.

Not to prove a point.
Not to win a debate.
But to remain aligned with yourself.

Because when approval is absent, character is revealed.

And when you stand in truth, you teach others how to stand too.

Make this the week you stop shrinking to stay comfortable.

Stand anyway.

-srt

The Difference Between Avoidance and Breakthrough

Earlier this week, we talked about how growth often sits on the other side of hard.

Today, let’s slow that down.

Because not all discomfort is the same.

Some discomfort protects you.
Some discomfort grows you.

Wisdom is learning the difference.

Avoidance is subtle. It doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like:

• “I’ll do it later.”
• “Now isn’t the right time.”
• “I need to feel more confident first.”
• “Maybe it’s just not meant for me.”

Avoidance reduces anxiety in the short term.
But long term, it shrinks your world.

Breakthrough discomfort feels different.
It feels stretching.
Vulnerable.
Uncertain.

But it expands you.

Let’s explore this together.

Coaching Tool 1: Comfort Zone Mapping

Draw three circles.

Circle One: Comfort
What feels safe, predictable, easy?
Where are you operating mostly on autopilot?

Circle Two: Stretch
What feels uncomfortable but aligned with who you want to become?
What would require courage but not chaos?

Circle Three: Panic
What feels overwhelming or unsafe?
What genuinely exceeds your current capacity?

Growth happens in the stretch zone.

Not in comfort.
Not in panic.

Ask yourself:
"Have I been calling something “too much” when it’s actually just stretch?"

Coaching Tool 2: Fear Inventory

Write this sentence at the top of a page:

“If I move forward with this, I’m afraid that…”

Then let yourself answer honestly.

• I’ll fail.
• I’ll look foolish.
• People will judge me.
• I won’t succeed.
• I’ll lose stability.
• I’ll disappoint someone.

Fear is not the enemy.
Unexamined fear is.

Now ask:
Is this fear protecting me from harm or protecting me from growth?

Coaching Tool 3: Limiting Belief Challenge

Identify the belief underneath the hesitation.

• “I’m not ready.”
• “I’m bad at conflict.”
• “I’m not leadership material.”
• “I don’t follow through.”
• “I always mess things up.”

Now challenge it.

What evidence suggests this belief is not entirely true?

Where have you handled something hard before?
Where have you surprised yourself?

Limiting beliefs lose power when exposed to evidence.

Coaching Tool 4: Action Despite Discomfort

Courage is not the absence of fear.
It is movement with fear present.

You don’t need to leap.
You need to step.

What is the next right step — not the whole staircase?

• Draft the email.
• Schedule the meeting.
• Set the boundary.
• Submit the application.
• Start before you feel fully ready.

Confidence follows action.
Not the other way around.

A Gentle Reflection

Sometimes we stay in discomfort longer than necessary because it is familiar.

Staying stuck can feel safer than risking change.

But consider this:

What might your life look like six months from now if you consistently chose to stretch over avoidance?

Growth rarely announces itself loudly.
It usually shows up disguised as inconvenience.

The resistance you feel may not be there to stop you.

It may be there to strengthen you.

So, I’ll leave you with this:

What “hard” thing might actually be your doorway?

And what small step are you willing to take?

Growth lives on the other side of hard.

Coaching you to move toward the hard and become stronger because of it.

-srt

Growth Lives on the Other Side of Hard

There is a version of you that exists beyond the thing you’re currently avoiding.

The conversation.
The boundary.
The risk.
The application.
The change.

We often think growth will feel exciting and affirming. But more often, growth feels like resistance.

It feels inconvenient.
Uncomfortable.
Exposing.

And because it feels uncomfortable, we assume it must be wrong.

But what if the discomfort isn’t a stop sign?

What if it’s a doorway?

Avoidance gives immediate relief. When we postpone the hard thing, we feel safer (at least for a moment). But over time, avoidance quietly builds frustration, self-doubt, and stagnation.

Breakthrough works differently.

Breakthrough asks you to:

• Have the hard conversation
• Try before you feel ready
• Say no when it would be easier to say yes
• Show up imperfectly

Every time you move toward discomfort instead of away from it, you build evidence:

• I can handle this.
• I can grow.
• I can do hard things.

Courage is not something you wake up with.
It’s something you build.

And it is built in moments of decision.

So, here’s your question for today:

"What is one thing you’ve been avoiding that might actually move your life forward?"

Don’t overhaul everything.
Just take one step.

Growth lives on the other side of hard.

Step into the stretch,

-srt 

P.S.  My sister Shelly would have turned 62 today. Losing her has been one of the hardest doors I’ve ever walked through. I miss her deeply and I try to live in a way that would make her proud.  Happy Heavenly Birthday Wheezer.  I LOVE you.  

Deeply Rooted: The Oak Principle

On Monday, we talked about bending instead of breaking.

Today, I want to introduce a simple framework I call The Oak Principle.

Oaks do not survive storms because they are rigid.
They survive because they are deeply rooted and flexible enough to move with the wind.

Strength and adaptability are not opposites.
They work together.

The Oak Principle is built on four practices.

1. Expand Your Thinking

When pressure rises, rigid thinking follows.

This is not how it was supposed to go.
If this fails, I fail.

Instead, ask:

"What else could this mean?"
"Is there another path to the same outcome?"
"Am I attached to the method or committed to the mission?"

Flexibility in thinking builds resilience in action.

2. Anchor to Your Values

Oaks bend at the branches, not at the roots.

Identify your top three non-negotiables.
Then evaluate:

Does this adjustment align with them?
Am I responding intentionally or reacting emotionally?

When values are clear, adaptation becomes strategic.

3. Strengthen Your Circle of Control

Draw two circles.

Circle One. What I Cannot Control

• Other people’s reactions
• Market shifts
• Timing
• Unexpected change

Circle Two. What I Can Control

• My effort
• My communication
• My boundaries
• My response

Growth lives in the second circle.

4. Lead Adaptively

Strong leaders:

• Face reality honestly
• Regulate their emotions
• Preserve the mission
• Adjust the plan

Bending is not surrender.
It is disciplined flexibility anchored in purpose.

If this week is stretching you, ask:

"Where do I need to bend at the branches while staying rooted at the core?"

That is The Oak Principle in action.

Wishing you a steady and intentional close to your week.

Happy Thursday Lovelies,

srt

P.S. My mom used to remind me that the wonderful thing about oak trees is that they drop acorns to build the next generation of oaks. Strength is not just about surviving the storm. It is about what grows because you stood through it.

Becoming Through the Bending

Pressure has a way of making us question ourselves.

Plans shift. Timelines stretch. Doors close.
And our instinct is to grip tighter.

But in nature, what refuses to bend is what breaks.

Trees bend in storms.
Muscles stretch to grow stronger.
Even steel is forged through heat and shaping.

Flexibility is not weakness.
It is strength under control.

Adjusting your approach does not mean abandoning your values.
Slowing down does not mean you are failing.
Changing direction does not mean you are lost.

Sometimes the bending is what protects the core.

If this season feels heavy, maybe you are not breaking.

Maybe you are becoming.

Stay rooted. Bend with strength. Leave the breaking to world records.

Now, go break something that matters.

-srt

How This Season Is Developing You

On Monday we talked about the possibility that you are not stuck.

You are being developed.

Today I want to slow that down.

Because it is one thing to believe a season has purpose.
It is another thing to participate in that purpose.

If this season is shaping you, then how?

And who are you becoming inside of it?

Let’s look at it honestly.

Victim Mindset or Builder Mindset?

Every season will invite one of two narratives.

A victim mindset asks:
Why is this happening to me?
Why does this always go wrong?
When will this finally change?

A builder mindset asks:
What is this season building in me?
What skills are being sharpened?
What patterns are being exposed?

One keeps you waiting.
The other puts you to work.

This is not about denying difficulty. Some seasons are painful. Some are unfair. Some are exhausting.

But even in those seasons, you still get to decide whether you will simply endure them or be developed by them.

Pause for a moment and ask yourself honestly:
Which mindset have I been operating from lately?

No judgment. Just awareness.

Awareness is where growth begins.

Coaching Tool 1: Identity Reflection

When life feels stalled, we obsess over outcomes.

When will this change?
When will I move forward?
When will I see results?

Instead, shift the focus to identity.

Ask yourself:

• Who am I becoming in this season?
• What traits are being strengthened in me?
• What values are becoming clearer?
• If this season had a job description, what would it say it is training me for?

Write your answers down. Do not rush this.

Often what feels like delay is actually identity construction.

You are not just building results.
You are building capacity.

Coaching Tool 2: Strengths Audit

Hard seasons reveal strengths you did not know you had.

Look back over the past six to twelve months and ask:

• What have I handled that an earlier version of me could not?
• Where have I shown resilience?
• What uncomfortable conversations have I survived?
• What responsibilities am I carrying now that once felt intimidating?

Growth leaves evidence.

You may not feel stronger. But look at what you are carrying now compared to a year ago.

That is development.

Coaching Tool 3: Lessons Learned Journaling

When a season feels heavy, your brain scans for threat. It looks for what is wrong.

We have to intentionally scan for growth.

Take out a journal and draw two columns.

Column One: What This Season Has Brought
Stress
Change
Loss
Uncertainty
New responsibility

Column Two: What It Has Taught Me
Boundaries
Patience
Emotional regulation
Clear communication
Self trust
Letting go

Nothing is wasted if it is reflected on.

When you name the lesson, you reclaim the power.

Coaching Tool 4: The Seasonal Audit

Think of your life in seasons.

Are you planting right now?
Growing?
Pruning?
Resting?

Each season requires something different.

You do not harvest in winter.
You do not prune during full bloom.

Sometimes frustration comes from trying to force a harvest in a season meant for root growth.

Ask yourself:

• What is this season asking of me?
• What habits belong here?
• What expectations need to be released?

When you align your effort with the season you are in, frustration decreases and focus increases.

You Are Not Behind

One of the loudest lies during developmental seasons is this:
I should be further by now.

But further according to who?

Comparison distorts perspective. Your timeline is not proof of your worth.

Depth takes time. Leadership takes pressure. Wisdom takes experience.

The people you admire most were shaped in quiet seasons no one applauded.

You are not behind.
You are being built.

A Different Question

Instead of asking, "When will this be over?"
Try asking, "What is this building that I will need later?"

Because one day you may look back and realize:

This was the season that strengthened your voice.
This was the season that built your endurance.
This was the season that clarified your direction.

Development becomes powerful when it becomes intentional.

So do not just survive this season.

Cooperate with it.

Reflect in it.
Learn in it.
Strengthen in it.

You are not stuck.

You are being shaped.

And the more consciously you engage the process, the more confidently you will step into what comes next.

Keep building lovelies,

-srt

P.S. Happiest birthday wishes to my handsome, smart, brilliant middle son Devon.  

This Season Is Shaping You

There are moments in life when everything feels stalled.

Progress slows. Doors close. Plans shift.

You look around and wonder, Why am I here? Why is this not moving?

It is easy to label these seasons as setbacks. As proof that you are behind. As evidence that something must be wrong.

But what if you are not stuck?

What if you are being developed?

In nature, nothing blooms all year long. There are planting seasons. Growing seasons. Pruning seasons. Resting seasons.

And every single one has a purpose.

The same is true for you.

The quiet season builds clarity.
The challenging season builds resilience.
The stretching season builds capacity.
The uncertain season builds depth and adaptability.

Growth is not always loud. It is not always visible. Sometimes it is happening underground in your character, your patience, your leadership.

This season is not punishing you.
It is preparing you.

A victim mindset asks, Why is this happening to me?
A builder mindset asks, What is this building in me?

One keeps you stuck in reaction.
The other puts you back in authorship.

You may not control the season you are in.
But you always control how you develop within it.

One of the most damaging thoughts during difficult seasons is this:
I should be further by now.

Comparison distorts perspective. Your timeline is not proof of your value.

Development is often invisible while it is happening. Roots grow long before fruit appears.

You are not behind.
You are under construction.

Instead of asking, When will this be over?
Try asking, Who is this shaping me to become?

One day you will look back and realize this was the season that strengthened your voice. This was the season that built your endurance. This was the season that clarified your direction.

You are not buried.
You are planted.

This season is not your identity.
It is your development ground.

Stay present.
Stay engaged.
Stay open.

The version of you being formed right now is stronger, steadier, and more capable than you can currently see.

You are not stuck. You are being developed.

So take a breath.
Square your shoulders.
And attack this day like a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Let’s go,

-srt

Don't Let a Storm Rename You

There are moments in life that feel bigger than us.

Moments when disappointment feels permanent.
When anxiety feels endless.
When failure feels final.
When heartbreak feels defining.

And in those moments, your brain does something subtle but powerful.

It turns a feeling into an identity.

“This is who I am now.”

That is almost never true.

The real danger isn’t emotion.

It’s when we confuse a temporary state with a permanent definition.

So instead of just talking about perspective today, I want to give you a framework you can actually use.

Coaching Tool 1: The STORM Method

(For When Emotions Feel Bigger Than You)

When you feel emotionally flooded, walk yourself through this:

S – Stop

Interrupt the spiral.

No texting.
No dramatic decisions.
No identity conclusions.

Just pause.

T – Tag the State

Name the feeling.

Not the story.
The feeling.

“I feel rejected.”
“I feel embarrassed.”
“I feel anxious.”
“I feel disappointed.”

This is your state ... your temporary emotional condition.

States move.
States fluctuate.
States pass.

Naming the state immediately separates you from it.

You are not anxiety.
You are experiencing anxiety.

That distinction creates space.

O – Observe the Story

Now ask:

What meaning am I attaching to this?

“I always mess things up.”
“No one chooses me.”
“I’m not good enough.”
“This is how my life will always be.”

This is the story.

The state is honest.
The story is interpretive.

And under stress, your brain predicts a permanent future based on a temporary feeling.

It thinks it’s protecting you.

It’s usually exaggerating.

R – Reframe (Flip the Narrative)

Now we shift.

Ask:

What else could this mean?
What might this be teaching me?
If this were happening for me instead of to me, what would be different?
What would someone who believes in me say right now?

For example:

Instead of
“I failed. I’m not cut out for this.”

Try
“This is feedback. I’m in the learning phase.”

Instead of
“They rejected me. I’m not enough.”

Try
“That wasn’t aligned. My value hasn’t changed.”

See what you did there? 

• The event stays the same.
• The meaning changes.
• And meaning determines emotional impact.

M – Move Forward Intentionally

From your reframed perspective, ask:

What decision aligns with who I’m becoming?

Not who I feel like in this moment.
Who I’m becoming.

Because here’s the truth:

Temporary struggle is not permanent identity.

Crisis speaks in absolutes:

Always.
Never.
Forever.

Growth speaks in seasons:

Right now.
This phase.
This lesson.

You are in a moment, not a life sentence.

Coaching Tool 2: The State Shift Model (Your Daily Practice)

If STORM feels like the full reset, here’s the simplified daily version:

1. Name the Feeling (State)

2. Flip the Narrative (Shift)

That’s it.

You don’t need to suppress emotion.
You don’t need to overanalyze it.

You need to separate it from your identity and choose your interpretation intentionally.

Neuroscience tells us the chemical surge of emotion lasts about 90 seconds — unless we keep re-triggering it with our thoughts.

So when the wave hits:

Pause.
Tag it.
Let it pass.
Then shift.

That is emotional strength.

Not avoiding emotion.
Not denying emotion.

Managing it.

Final Thoughts

If this week has felt heavy, remember:

You have survived 100% of your hardest days so far.

Your nervous system may be activated.
Your thoughts may be loud.
Your heart may feel heavy.

But those are experiences passing through you.

They are not who you are.

Don’t let a storm rename you.

Use it to build resilience instead.

Happy Thursday all,
– srt

#ThursdayThoughts #LeadershipGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence #mindset #resilience #reacoachingandconsulting

You Are Stronger Than This Moment

There are moments in life that feel bigger than us.

Moments when disappointment feels permanent.
When anxiety feels endless.
When failure feels final.
When heartbreak feels defining.

And in those moments, it’s easy to believe a dangerous lie:

“This is who I am now.”

But it isn’t.

You are stronger than this moment.
And this moment does not define your identity.

Your feelings are real.
They matter.
They deserve to be acknowledged.

But they are not permanent.

Emotions move like weather systems. Storms can feel overwhelming while you’re inside them ... dark, loud, consuming. But no storm lasts forever.

The problem isn’t that we feel deeply.
The problem is that we confuse a temporary emotional state with a permanent identity.

You are not your worst day.
You are not your anxiety spike.
You are not your mistake.
You are not your rejection.

You are a human being moving through an experience.

This week, remember one powerful distinction:

State vs. Story.

Your state says: “I feel overwhelmed.”
Your story says: “I can’t handle life.”

Your state is temporary.
Your story tries to make it permanent.

When emotion rises, pause for 90 seconds.

Don’t analyze.
Don’t react.
Don’t decide who you are.

Breathe.
Name the feeling.
Let the wave pass.

Strength is not the absence of emotion.
Strength is staying present inside it.

This is something you are going through — not something you are.

Walk into this week remembering:

You are bigger than this storm.
You are wiser than this reaction.
You are stronger than this moment.

Walk into this week like someone who knows the storm will pass.

Umbrella up. Chin up.

You’ve got this,
– srt

Resilience in the Middle of Loss and Uncertainty

Resilience used to be a word I spoke about with confidence.

I understood it. I taught it. I teach it.  I encourage others to live it.

But resilience feels very different when life touches you in a deeply personal way.

The death of my sister has challenged me in ways I never expected. Grief has a way of shaking your foundation. It slows you down. It makes you question what truly matters. It changes how you see time, relationships, and purpose.

At the same time, I am standing in another life transition. Retirement. A word that sounds like rest and reward. Yet beneath it sits a quiet question that keeps rising in my heart.

What do I do next?

Loss and transition arriving together have stretched me. One season closed without my permission. Another season closed because I chose it. Both have required resilience.

And I am learning that resilience is not about being strong all the time.

It is about being honest.

There are days when I miss my sister so deeply that it takes my breath away. There are moments when I wonder who I am outside of the structure of my career. I have asked myself questions that have no quick answers.

Who am I now
What is my purpose in this new season
How do I move forward while carrying grief

Resilience, for me, has become the willingness to sit with those questions without running from them.

It has become allowing myself to mourn without guilt.
Allowing myself to rest without fear.
Allowing myself to dream again without pressure.

I have realized that retirement is not an ending. It is an invitation. An invitation to rediscover purpose beyond titles. An invitation to explore passions that were once placed on hold. An invitation to serve in new ways.

And grief has clarified something powerful. Life is precious. Time is not promised. Love must be expressed now.

My sister’s life reminds me that impact is not measured in years but in the way we touch others. That truth is shaping how I think about what comes next.

I do not have every answer. But I do have faith. I have experience. I have wisdom earned through years of living, loving, working, and now grieving.

The Bible often speaks of forty as a season of testing, preparation, and stretching. Forty days of rain before the earth was renewed. Forty years in the wilderness before the promise. Forty days of fasting before ministry began. Forty represents the trial.

But forty one represents what comes after.

Forty one represents the step into something new. The promise fulfilled. The beginning that follows endurance.

In many ways, this season feels like my forty. A season of testing, loss, reflection, and transition. Yet I believe I am standing at day forty one. Not because the grief is gone. Not because every question has been answered. But because I trust that God does not bring us through wilderness without purpose.

Faith reminds me that this is not the end of my story. Experience reminds me that every difficult chapter has produced growth. Wisdom reminds me that God wastes nothing, not even sorrow.

Day forty-one is not loud. It is not dramatic. It is quiet courage. It is the first step forward after heartbreak. It is choosing to believe there is still purpose ahead. It is trusting that the same God who sustained me in the testing will lead me into what is next.

Instead of asking, "What do I do now that I have retired", I am beginning to ask, "Who am I called to be in this season?"

Resilience is not rushing into the next thing to avoid the discomfort of change. It is walking through change with courage. It is trusting that even when life feels uncertain, there is still purpose ahead.

I do not have every detail mapped out. But I am standing in faith. I am standing in gratitude. I am standing in expectation.

Getting up each day even when my heart is heavy.
Choosing gratitude while I heal.
Staying open to new possibilities.
Trusting that my story is not finished.

If you are walking through loss, transition, or uncertainty, know this. You are not weak for feeling unsteady. You are human.

Resilience is not about pretending you are unaffected.
It is about continuing forward, even if the steps are small.

My sister’s death has changed me.
Retirement has stretched me.
But neither has defeated me.

I am still here.
Still growing.
Still becoming.

This is my day forty-one.

And I am choosing to rise.

-srt

Cracking me up on the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

At our favorite place on this planet, Cannon Beach Oregon. 

xoxoxo Wheezer, Love Pokey

Bend, Don’t Break: The Power of Resilience

Life has a way of testing us.

Sometimes it is subtle. A disappointment, a rejection, a plan that does not work out. Other times it hits like a storm. Loss, failure, betrayal, burnout. In those moments, it can feel like everything is falling apart.

But here is the truth. Resilience is not about never falling. It is about rising every single time you do.

Resilience is the quiet strength that whispers, “Try again.”
It is the decision to keep going when quitting would be easier.
It is choosing growth over bitterness.

And the most beautiful part? Resilience is not something you are born with. It is something you build.

Struggle Is Not the Opposite of Strength

We often mistake resilience for toughness. For pretending things do not hurt. But real resilience is not denial. It is facing pain honestly and still choosing to move forward.

The strongest trees are not the ones untouched by wind. They are the ones that have bent in storms and learned how to stand again.

Every setback teaches something.

Failure teaches refinement.
Rejection teaches redirection.
Loss teaches perspective.
Hardship builds endurance.

Your struggles are not signs of weakness. They are shaping tools.

The Bible often speaks of forty as a season of testing and preparation. Forty days of rain before renewal. Forty years in the wilderness before the promise. Forty days of fasting before ministry began. Forty represents the trial.

But there is always a day after forty.

Resilience is living in your forty without losing faith in day forty-one. It is trusting that seasons of stretching are preparing you for something greater. It is believing that endurance always produces growth.

Resilience Is a Skill

Like a muscle, resilience strengthens with use. You build it when you:

Take responsibility instead of making excuses.
Learn instead of blaming.
Rest instead of quitting.
Ask for help instead of isolating.

Resilience does not mean you will not cry.
It does not mean you will not doubt.
It does not mean you will not feel tired.

It means you refuse to stay down.

Resilience is choosing faith over fear. It is choosing perspective over panic. It is choosing progress even when perfection is nowhere in sight.

The most resilient people ask one powerful question:

“What is this teaching me?”

That question turns pain into purpose.
It turns failure into feedback.
It turns obstacles into strategy.

When you stop asking, “Why is this happening to me?”
And start asking, “How can this grow me?”
Everything changes.

Faith reminds us that testing is never wasted. Experience teaches us that every difficult chapter carries a lesson. Wisdom shows us that growth often comes disguised as hardship.

Day forty one is quiet courage. It is the first step forward after discouragement. It is choosing to believe there is still purpose ahead. It is trusting that the same strength that carried you through the storm will carry you into what is next.

You Are More Capable Than You Think

Think about everything you have already survived.

There were moments you thought you would not get through but you did.
There were days you felt broken, but you kept moving.
There were chapters that hurt but you are still here.

That is resilience.

Not perfection.
Not invincibility.
Persistence.

And every time you choose courage over comfort, you reinforce the truth. You are stronger than your circumstances.

Storms do not last forever. But the strength they build does.

So, when life bends you, do not assume you are breaking. You might just be becoming.

Keep going.

This may be your forty. A season of testing, stretching, and refining. But day forty-one is coming. A season of clarity, strength, and renewed purpose.

And that is the gift of resilience.

Have a marvelous Monday,

-srt

Do. Not. Miss. This. A Year of Presence

This year, my word is present.

I chose it because I realized how often I am physically somewhere but not fully there. Not just because of my phone, although that plays a role. It shows up in quieter ways too. It is sitting in a restaurant and finding myself more engaged in listening to someone else’s conversation than the person across from me. It is bringing my computer along because I just need to finish one thing while my son is trying to tell me about his day. It is thinking about what is next instead of settling into what is now.

It is half listening. Half working. Half showing up.

And I do not want to live a half life.

It is such a gift to give someone your undivided attention. To be fully in a moment. To look someone in the eyes and let them feel that you are really there. No rushing. No drifting. Attention is love in action.

Being present is also about recognizing the little gifts all around us.

• The way light comes through the window of my office in the morning.
• The sound of laughter from another room.
• The ordinary stories that feel small but are actually sacred treasures.
• The way Cali talks to me as we walk the perimeter of the farm.
• The way the clouds form images or the colors stretch across the sky at sunset while the chickens make their way to the coop.

So much of life is made up of these quiet moments, and they are easy to overlook when we are distracted or in a hurry. But they are the moments that anchor us. They remind us we are alive. They are the moments we will one day wish we could step back into.

There is a line from a movie that has been echoing in my head lately: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” It feels almost too simple, but the older I get, the truer it becomes. Life really does move fast. Seasons change. Children grow. Sunsets come and go whether I notice them or not. And I do not want to miss it.

I have started asking myself a different question in the morning. Instead of immediately thinking about everything I need to accomplish, I ask, what does the world have for me today? What beauty is waiting to be noticed? What conversation needs my full attention? What simple moment might become a memory?

This shift feels small, but it is changing me. It is softening me. It is slowing me down in the best way.

I want to fully live this gift of a life I have been given that is already in front of me.

Not someday. Not when things calm down. Not after the work is finished.

Now.

Being present does not mean I will do it perfectly. It means I am aware. It means I am choosing again and again to close the laptop, to look up from the noise, to stay in the conversation, to walk the farm without rushing the steps.

This year I am choosing depth over distraction. Connection over constant motion. Awareness over autopilot.

I do not want to miss what is right in front of me.

I want to be here for it.

Fully.

Present.

Happy Monday Lovelies,

-srt

Discovering Your Ikigai: Finding Purpose at the Intersection of Passion and Meaning

Have you ever found yourself wondering what your true purpose is?

What gets you out of bed in the morning feeling energized, fulfilled, and aligned?

In Japan, there is a beautiful concept that helps people uncover this sense of meaning. It’s called Ikigai.

Ikigai is more than a trendy self-development tool ... it’s a powerful framework for living with clarity, intention, and purpose.

What Is Ikigai?

Ikigai is a Japanese term that translates loosely to “a reason for being.”
It represents the deep sense of purpose that makes life feel meaningful and worth waking up for.

At its core, Ikigai is the intersection of four essential parts of life:

• What you love

• What you are good at

• What the world needs

• What you can be paid for

When these areas overlap, they reveal the sweet spot where passion, talent, service, and sustainability come together.

Why Ikigai Is So Powerful

Ikigai is powerful because it helps people move beyond simply “getting through life” and toward truly living with intention.

Many people feel stuck because they are disconnected from one or more of these areas:

• They may be successful, but not fulfilled

• They may be passionate, but unsure how to turn it into a career

• They may serve others, but feel burned out

• They may have talent, but no clear direction

Ikigai provides clarity by showing that fulfillment isn’t found in just one thing — it’s found in alignment.

My Ikigai: A Personal Example

One of the most meaningful parts of the Ikigai process is seeing how your own experiences, strengths, and passions come together.

Here is my personal Ikigai:

In my diagram, the themes are clear:

• I love helping people feel grounded, supported, and seen

• I’m good at coaching, listening deeply, and guiding transformation

• The world needs more emotional wellness and compassionate leadership

• I can be paid for coaching, teaching, writing, and consulting

At the center of it all is my purpose:

I help people feel grounded, supported, and empowered to create meaningful lives through compassionate coaching and emotional wellness work.

Ikigai as a Compass for Growth

Ikigai isn’t something you find once and never revisit.

It’s a lifelong practice ... a way of checking in with yourself and asking:

• Am I living in alignment with what matters most?

• Am I using my gifts in service of something meaningful?

• Am I creating a life that feels fulfilling and sustainable?

When you discover your Ikigai, you begin to make decisions with greater confidence, direction, and peace.

Your Turn: What Might Your Ikigai Be?

If you’re feeling called to explore your own Ikigai, start by reflecting on these four questions:

• What do I love?

• What am I good at?

• What does the world need?

• What can I be paid for?

Your answers may hold the key to a life that feels deeply aligned.

Ready to Discover Yours?

If you’d like support uncovering your own Ikigai and building a life around your purpose, I’d love to help.

Coaching is a powerful space for clarity, growth, and transformation.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

#ReaCoachingandConsulting #Ikigai #Love #worldneedsyou