Eat. Pray. Love. Heal.

I have twice taken a week this summer off from client facing work to focus on ensuring the rest of the business is functional. There's costs and benefits to working with the owner of a business and this one is a cost. Though, I did make sure everyone was scheduled the week prior and the week after (extending my normal working hours). To be clear - client facing work is my favourite part. I love working with those I have the honour to have in my office (or virtually on screen). This is where other pieces require intentional blocked tending to. Being an entrepreneur comes with a significant learning curve, and I am going to assume like any other role in my life, it will be a role that requires ongoing learning.

That being said, I've had this unique opportunity to catch up on some of the other pieces. It is a lot to carry a business, more importantly a dream and most importantly a calling. Having this time set aside for other aspects of the business (and my life), there have been moments that I've missed and not been living. Most predominantly with myself.

My childhood taught me to focus on others. I am inherently a caretaker and thus have fallen into this profession not by chance. If you are another helper, healer, social worker: I see you. This one is for you.

I've been blessed over the years to have friends I consider family, and family I call home. However, in the giving that I'm both trained to do and love to do (they are not mutually exclusive), I have missed giving to self more often lately.

I've done nothing this week that is extraordinary by any means. Work wise, I've responded to emails, made sure our building is safe and healthy for people to enter long term, made a few scheduling appointments, wrote letters and reports, etc. However after 8 hours of work, I have forced myself to stop working for the day. Something I haven't done in a long time and that often entrepreneurs don't have the luxury to do. I have also signed myself up for a movement class each day, focused on water intake and fed myself basic food. I took time each day for prayer and worship. None of these things are out of character for me, however, I gave them more space and less rush. Are these basic things I would recommend to others? Yes. Sometimes, I'm presented with ethical dilemmas that aren't as straight forward as you may think. As a working professional you may experience similar things.

I'm in a city (feels more like a hallmark movie town) this week that has gluten and dairy free ice cream. For me, thats a real treat. So, this part of the routine has taken some arm twisting. Having the ability to taste ice-cream as the rest of the world does brings me a huge amount of joy. I'm a big fan of the little things. That part has always been my thing: looking at the small details and looking for the small moments of joy.

Speaking of small details, I had the opportunity to enjoy the ice cream by the water on a bench and offer to take family photos of moms and their kids. I made friends with local business owners and we chatted about everything and nothing. I engaged in present moment and didn't quite rush to the next.

This summer has been overwhelming in some good ways and some stressful ways. Our lives are often both/and. Both hard and fun. Both a struggle and many glimmers. Both joyful and bittersweet. This week has served as a reminder to come back to self, to feed self, to heal self. It has been what was needed. Why do I share this? Humanity is a shared experience. There are a lot of helpers and healers that do this walk alone. Please know that there's space for you here along with experience and understanding. If you're in a place of needing that space too and needing someone to talk to, you are not alone in the process. We have a wonderful group of affiliates that can offer support to you in your journey.

So, in the famous words of Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat. Pray. Love. And implied in those words for her was also to heal. I'm thankful that I had a week of moments to sit with myself, care for myself, and be with myself in a multitude of ways. It has brought me back to knowing not only who I am, but tending to needs so that as I come back to all of you next week, I have full space and an open heart to receive you, exactly where you are and whatever you are needing.

With Gratitude,

Christie