On Thursday mornings I guide a women’s meditation group.  For three and a half years we have gathered for mindfulness and mediation. What I realized this past week, as we gathered in person for the first time in a few months, was the lingering of each of our hugs.

Yes, we are gathering for group meditation, and yet it is the relationships and compassion for one another – the human connection, the energy we exchange – that keeps us all coming back. Meditation is the sprinkles on the cake, the bonus of our gathering!  Well, that’s what it feels like to me.  Come join us and ask the other woman in the group for yourself.

This experience highlighted even more for me that human connection improves our lives. Sure, science tells us human connection can:

  • lower anxiety,
  • help regulate our emotions, and
  • actually, improve our immune systems.

And that feeling, that deep feeling of acceptance when human connection is genuine and real can fill your heart and being with such joy.

You know what I think makes human connection even more powerful? Love. The love and enjoyment of exchanging ideas with someone, sharing stories, and being curious about each other’s lives. Doesn’t it always come back to love? (… yes, the answer is yes!)

Even recalling the memory of observing the hugs and extra squeezes from our “meditation” session now fills me with hope, peace, approval to be me, and love. (I hope you too are feeling that feeling…)

I’ve been told I fall in love with people quickly.  I think that’s true! I want to know who people are, what makes them tick, I want them to know I care about them and that who they are matters to me.

And so that’s the purpose of this post.

I’d love to know all that about each of you!  You know you can always reach out, right?  I mean really, let’s connect!

To get things started, I am going to assume you love human connection too! 😉  And if I tell you a little about me, maybe you will feel compelled to tell me a little bit about you.

So here you go, a few little things about me:  (I’ll try to keep it short, but I love the details… and when you call me, be ready, I’ll want to know all the details)

  1. I love connecting people. I love people. Well, most of the time… I mean come on we can’t be zen all the time! If there is an opportunity to connect two people who will enjoy each other or benefit from an introduction, I am your girl. It brings me joy.

2. As a very young child, one of the memories I have is of my parents “flipping houses” on the weekends. If they weren’t doing that, there was a project going on somewhere in our house. I loved the small roles I was allowed to participate in (or given to keep me out of the way) … painting a small area, shining a light fixture that was being reclaimed, sweeping the floor, hammering in a few nails… I was so proud of these jobs, and have always appreciated and found importance in the little things in life.

It took me decades to see the importance of all the small moments in my life and how they have guided me to my life now. It is each small moment (whether I realized it or not) that gently (ok, sometimes not so gently) guided me the most.  

Don’t get me wrong. The birth of our son, my wedding day, I cherish these larger experiences in my life, AND for me, and what I co-create with my life coaching clients is about making subtle shifts to create the greatest impacts towards their goals. 

    1. Plants for me, please. I am a plant-based eater.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this because well… “How do you know if someone’s vegan?” … “Don’t worry they’ll tell you”.  I know I know… after 10 years as a plant-based eater, I have heard most of the funny comments and been asked all the questions. I feel better, my body is happier and my mind is clearer eating the way I do. Let’s leave it there for now because I also strongly believe you should eat how you want to eat. Call me if you want to chat more!

     

    1. In 1999, I moved to London. A 1-year work project that I am so forever grateful was not 1 year. I moved back to the US in 2005. Having returned from a trip to London 2 weeks ago, my heart reminded me exactly how much that city and country are woven into me. At nearly 30 years old when I arrived in London, it is where I truly felt I was home, my soul was home. I learned independence, I found my voice, I enjoyed diversity, I made life long friends, I honed a few business skills, fell more in love with people… especially this one guy (I love you, Duncan)!
    1. In 2006, I became a mom. Yes, this makes me love London even more! And like all you amazing parents – yes you are amazing and doing your best – I love him dearly
    1. When I need a reset, or life feels too heavy, I love taking the top off my Jeep Wrangler and blasting the country music so I can sing and car dance along! It’s my favorite subtle shift.
    1. Doing things that make me nervous and uncomfortable oddly inspires me. A fond memory of nervous… jumping out of planes for fun in my early 20’s. I do not do that anymore… I have to get my fill in other ways. So combined nervousness and mildly uncomfortable with my love of people and connecting them and you get Sacred Spaces, Subtle Shifts for Mind, Body, and Home Transformation book #2.

     

    Let’s just say as much as I deeply believe in the power of subtle shifts, this doesn’t feel like a subtle shift. You know sometimes you do have to go for something larger because those moments matter too and they are bound to open your eyes to more human connection, and a deeply feeling of love and gratitude.

    Let’s call it harmony – the big drum booming along with the gentle tweet of a flute – the orchestra needs both.  So book #2 will be filled with more vulnerable and honest stories like Sacred Spaces, Subtle Shifts for Mind, Body, and Home Transformation.  And I will enjoy each step to get there, and mostly each conversation with offering me human connection.

    That human connection ripples through all the energy we take in and put out.  It’s the love that we can cultivate there. And perhaps for me it’s not so much a sense of approval to be myself… but rather a celebration of all our individual uniqueness, where if you lead with love we create harmony.

    I love humans. I love you.

    Can’t wait to connect,