"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." - Jalaleddin Rumi
As the calendar resets, we embark on that familiar journey of introspection, crafting intentions for the year ahead. For me, this process isn't confined to a yearly ritual; it's a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual practice inspired by my Strategic Visioning Experience® workshops.
Last year gifted me an extraordinary realization: I wore a crown every single day. Yes, 365 days of donning a crown, even during slumber. Initially sparked by celebrating 25 years of service in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, this history-making and unique gesture evolved into something profound, exceeding both a sorority and personal milestone. Wearing those bright crowns became a symbol of unapologetic authenticity. It also sparked conversations that transcended boundaries of age, background, gender and ethnicity.
These interactions, especially with incredible women around the globe, unveiled a common thread: the beauty of embracing uniqueness. It echoed my grandmother's belief in my purpose—to help others—and nudged me to align my life's mission with unwavering authenticity and to help clients sync their actions with their values and vision. The celebration extended beyond my silver anniversary and illuminated the power of embracing one’s uniqueness and, in turn, empowered others to embrace their distinctiveness.
If you've noticed something "different" in my posts or conversations, it's this journey toward embracing uniqueness, being unapologetically different, intentionally spreading joy, and being a light in dark places. My goal on New Year's Eve was to close the year with gratitude. I asked my Facebook friends to share general messages of encouragement. Little did I know that what I hoped would be an encouraging end-of-year post would solidify my focus for 2024 – CENTERING JOY! Joy is a great force that springs from within.
Joy allows us to navigate life's twists while staying connected to our purpose. Joy empowers positive change and radiates to others. Despite the chaos around us, when joy is centered, we can anchor ourselves, stay focused on our purpose and continue to bring much-needed positive change to our world.
Sooooo, when you encounter my posts or conversations about centering joy, understand that it's a deliberate choice to hold tight to my crowns and leverage my talents, certifications and life experiences to remind others of their innate greatness. It's a commitment to guide individuals toward fulfillment by focusing on what brings them genuine joy.
In the upcoming weeks, watch as #CenteringJoy weaves its way into every aspect of my online presence. From website changes to thematic posts, content, workshops and public speaking engagements, or working in the Indianapolis nonprofit sector and beyond, joy will be the common thread. In videos and reels, I'll continue to encourage folx from all backgrounds to live boldly and embrace their uniqueness. In every strategic visioning workshop, leaders will be urged to go from dreaming to doing by centering joy, being innovative and inclusive, and connecting with their life's purpose.
Reflecting on the lessons, tears, excitement, sorrows, accomplishments, accolades and goals achieved in 2023, my journey continues with the intentional focus to prioritize #CenteringJoy as I hopefully inspire others along the way.
My New Year wish for you mirrors the “slightly modified” message my Kata Coach, Tracy Defoe, recently shared, “May all your hypotheses be tested, pursued and JOYOUSLY modified as you EMBRACE your challenges in 2024!”
If you want to make 2024 your best year yet and achieve your goals with confidence, then working with a coach is the way to go. Click on the image below to schedule a discovery call and let me help you create a strategic plan that will set you up for success.
