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Oh Hi! (and a pic)

Hi Reader,

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^^^ That’s me in my workspace. ^^^

(yes, I got bangs, no, I’m not having a spiritual crisis).

I’m sharing because I just wanted to give you a lil’ glimpse into what it’s like to run Courage & Joy at Work, creating content and do this kind of work with folx.

I spent several hours and a few re-iterations depending on my current vibe creating the space. I have some stones, crystals, candles, trinkets, my go-to reading resources, sage, and a sound bowl. I also have one of my favorite pieces of art by Christina Mrozik, “Falling Into Light.”

Her piece symbolizes some of the work I do. She shares:

“In order to become a flower, one must be willing to transform. The ripe scent that tickles the air happens with seasons, at a peak of growth before the blossom unravels and scatters her seeds in new directions. To become a flower is to be willing to dissolve into the new possibilities of self—the possibility of opening, of forming new starts, of stretching roots and reaching from the air deep into the ground. The bud knows how to reach toward the sun, open first gingerly and then too far and be willing to let go of herself to start anew. To become a flower one must be willing to fall into light.”

My favorite and consistent part of my workspace, though, is the picture over my shoulder: a photo of Ian (my partner) and I with the prolific artist, author, teacher, and Vajrayana practitioner, Alex Grey, back in 2018 from one of his full moon ceremonies at his and his fellow artist and wife’s home in Wappingers Falls, NY.

That night was one of my favorite memories with Ian. To be in the space of such an amazing artist brought out this sense of wonder, connection and spiritual depth. I also felt that all was fundamentally well (during a time I was really struggling to believe that).

Anyway, thanks for letting me share.

What I really wanted to highlight with this today was to check in and ask, what resources are you using to ground yourself and remind yourself of who you are?

Nature and spirituality are cornerstones for keeping me grounded in this wild and turbulent world. These details of my workspace remind me of that when I forget.

I think it’s important to define parts of ourselves that we deeply resonate with to bring us back “home.”

When I’m in the swirl of life and work I, too, can forget my grounding elements. I can look at my altar to quickly remind me of why I’m doing what I do and what really matters.

How does this relate to Courageous Leadership?

If you aren’t sure what the bedrock is of your life — or your personal foundation that calls you home, you’re likely making choices that are impulsive.

Impulsive actions can lead to headaches and pain later… asking yourself “how’d I get here?”

If you want some help curating your home elements, reply with “home” and I’ll share with you some quick action steps to arrive there.

Okay. That’s all for today. As always, thanks for reading and interacting with me.

It means a lot.

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Forward to a friend!