KRISTINA'S WEEKLY EMAIL OF THOUGHT-PROVOKING ESSAYS & VIDEOS TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED TO YOURSELF ON THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE |
Greetings!
To say there's been a lot to navigate in our personal and professional lives over the past couple years is an understatement.
You've probably experienced, or are continuing to experience, many endings and/or loss - of people, personas, places, relationships, jobs, businesses, belief systems, and ways of life in general. This is not an easy process, and requires a certain level of awareness and courage - and tears! - to get through in a healthy way.
Humans are generally averse to change, and the subject of death is still something we don't deal with as a culture with any mature understanding or acceptance, which causes a whole host of side effects and symptoms in our society that show up in myriad ways with fear at its root. But transformation doesn't happen without the removal of the old to open up space for something new. This is often a painful, but necessary process that we shouldn't deny or resist, and can actually use to reconsider and reorient our values, circumstances, and behaviors. And we are always given the opportunity throughout - should we embrace it - to connect with more of who we are and express and experience more love.
What's life going to look like going forward? I think we're still in that in-between space - and what humans hate more than change is living in the unknown lol! So it's not an easy time no matter how you slice it. But since we're likely more clear about what we don't want or what is no longer working or exists at all for us, we can exercise our 'letting go' and 'releasing' muscles. We can be as loving and compassionate to those around us as we are all going through this in one way or another.
And especially as we near the end of the year, it's all the more reason to take some inventory and process what you need to get yourself in a place where you can be as present as possible as much of the time, because that is where the most peace, power and creativity to form the future lie.
When used as the gift that it ultimately is, death can catalyze a deep introspection and realignment, which is the fuel for evolution and growth. Like the autumn leaves falling to the ground, death is fertilizer for the soul that will bloom anew come spring.
Today's PGG reflects many of these themes, and the PGG Video of the Week I reminds you why it's practical to face your challenges. This week's Instagram post is a reminder that adversity is a mirage and all endings provide new beginnings. And for the PGG Vibe of the Week, because everything is part of the cycle and this is a good one to dance and move through any grief and shake off any old skin or frustration, here is Rusted Root's, Back to the Earth.
And as a reminder, if any of my weekly essays, coaching, talks, videos or posts have helped you along your career/life journey, here are a few ways you can support my work :)
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And as always, please feel free to contact me with any comments about anything.
Big hug,
Kristina
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"I love your PGG newsletters - one of the only ones I actually read in its entirety. They are excellently written, and spot on. Thanks for being so inspirational and reflective!" ~ Tom D.
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All That You Can't Leave Behind
Originally published April 4, 2012
I recently attended the funeral of a good friend’s father. He was Ukrainian, along with most of his relatives and friends, so everything was conducted in his native language. At the brunch after the burial, a woman stood up and read with great emotion what she had written on a few sheets of loose-leaf paper while many of us choked up.
I saw her by the ladies’ room soon after and mentioned how beautiful her speech was. In broken English, she went on about how she messed up and it didn’t come out the way she wanted, etc. I stopped her mid-sentence and said, “I don’t speak a word of Ukrainian.” Puzzled, she replied, “Well, I just spoke from my heart.” And I said, “Yes, that’s why it was so beautiful.”
I often begin my seminars reminding the attendees that someday, hopefully in the very distant future, they will die. Perhaps it’s morbid, but like change and taxes, death is one of the few certainties in life. When you look at your existence through that lens, before a crisis forces you to do so, it can be extremely powerful in helping to organize your thoughts and actions in a way nothing else can.
When we can accept it, our own mortality, or that of those closest to us, really puts things in perspective: What is it that we value? What and whom do we hold dear? What is real and meaningful for us? And when you look back on your life, how do you want to have used your time and energy while you were here? What is the mark that you want to leave on the world? How do you want people to remember you when you are gone?
Death and dying remind us that when all the external stuff falls away, what’s left? You can’t take that designer bag, fancy car or impressive job title. It cuts to the core and brings us to the one essential thing that every human being desires — to love and to be loved in return.
At the end of the day, all you have is the impact of the life you led, mostly found in close connections with others and memories you’ve shared. You may never know the effect you’ve had on strangers, and family dynamics can of course be complicated, but remember, you choose your friends, and true friends who have been a part of your journey are precious; they are there regardless of too much time having passed or petty misunderstandings.
A crisis will always give us clarity as to what’s important and what we can offer one another. If you let them, all that comes to the surface are love and compassion. And to be there for someone, to have the opportunity to be a healing presence in whatever form that may take, is a gift for both the giver and receiver.
As we start to wind down and reflect on this past year, think about which parts of you can bite the dust, allowing for a rebirth accompanied by a deeper commitment to honor and cherish your relationship with yourself and the healthy ones you have with others, to cultivate new connections that will enrich your journey, and to reaffirm your relationship to life itself.
Not sure what you would want to hear when you go or simply want to develop more fully all that you can’t leave behind? Give me a buzz and I’ll help you Walk On, and be able to feel good about it all, here and now.
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WORK WITH KRISTINA
If you're looking for some compassionate candor and a dose of tough love, Kristina is the coach for you.... I came into this really lacking clarity and walked away with a sense of relief. Can't recommend her enough. ~ Kevin R.
Find clarity, balance and direction in your career and life.
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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM KRISTINA'S COACHING:
Kristina’s coaching expertise is phenomenal — all-encompassing, inclusive of the mind, body & spirit, nonjudgmental, insightful and deeply involved in providing solutions and tools to be a better version of yourself. ~ Audrey N.
Kristina patiently helped me to discover and embrace my true north. I was stuck in a past identity that blocked me from the person I wanted to become. ~ Pascal D.
Since I last spoke with you, I've had some pretty dramatic changes - New Job, a Big Move, Healthy Dating Relationship. It's been pretty awesome. Emotionally, I've done a 180, and my life is certainly a reflection of that. My last session with you spurred a lot of wonderful life changes." ~ Palanda B.
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Who Are You & What Are You Supposed to Be Doing with Your Life?
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CLICK HERE FOR MY INSTAGRAM LIVE WITH ZANADE MANN
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Click link for this week's video of Rusted Root's
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