Reclaiming my life & operating from a place of calm

Politics and advocacy are a funny business. It can often feel like you're living in a constant state of crisis, adrenaline, uncertainty, chaos, and you only have so much control. Every update you give your client or leaders often needs to have an * at the end (*this is what we've heard right now but anything can happen and it can change). Have you ever given an update only for it to change or the whole plan be upended an hour later? I have.

Further, your mind and body tend to stay at a heightened level of attention, anxiety, or stress. We can also get a little addicted to the high of getting things done and what can feel like the productivity of it all. You might get stuck in the drama of it all and feed on that feeling from others, seeking to keep that alive rather than getting back to neutral or that place of calm.

I've had years of flying from one thing to the next, jumping on client calls almost bragging about how busy and exhausted I am from the action of session or the day at hand. And sometimes it's true, we are in and need to be in that fight or flight mode. But other times it's almost worn and displayed loudly as a badge of honor or a status symbol. I've chosen not to do that anymore. It's ok to be busy, overwhelmed, or to occasionally fly into a call or meeting because you were literally running to get there. It's a reality sometimes. But that mindset for me personally, now means I've lost control.

 "You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself...He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others."

~Leonardo da Vinci

This quote hit me hard when I read it recently. I've also learned a lot from another woman in business who I've been fortunate to get to know through a community like this for female founders, Hannah Abad. Click here for a few tips from Hannah for a high achiever who's in the middle of or the end of a season of high push and intensity on how to move forward without the strain. A way to get to a place of calm to move forward.

It's not healthy for our minds or bodies to operate in this heightened state for long periods of time. It can lead to burn-out but can also have health impacts as well from suppressing your immune system causing you to get sick, stay sick, or keep getting sick. It can also trigger autoimmune diseases (which it did for me) and have many other effects. 

I challenge you today to think about whether you thrive on the drama of it or if you operate from a place of calm and how it helps or hurts you. How do you want to live your life your life? How do you want to feel each day? Let's own it together.