When I first started my business I had three words that drove me. They were “Love, Freedom, and Empowerment.” Those words were such a breakthrough for me at the time because I’d been so good at NOT being loving to myself, holding myself back, and jumping in do things for others that they could have been empowered to do for themselves.
While I had to work to find my way to actually turning love, freedom, and empowerment into a business, the possibility of making that real spoke to my heart so strongly that I couldn’t help but pursue it. It was true breakthrough energy for me. That clarity grew my business.
It also grew me. As I learned how to truly BE those words in my world, and began to master them (while there is always room to grow!), I started to get restless. I’ve been talking lately about The Alignment Gap (Here’s a recent #FBLive about it – https://www.facebook.com/darla.ledoux/videos/10153542633411637/?l=2119085317383457147)
I was restless because I’d outgrown where I’d been and I didn’t know where to go next.
Just when I was losing steam, I got new words.
About two years ago I got the words Connection and Intimacy. Just like the words love freedom and empowerment were a growth opportunity for me in the beginning of my business, those words call me to be bigger.
I believe that we have a crisis of disconnection. This may sound extreme or negative, but we’ve got to look at the definition of a crisis.
Crisis (n) – a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point
Disconnection breeds judgment, which leads to most of the issues that surround us today in society. It’s time to let down our guard and connect.
Not only has the fast pace of our life increased the expectations on us, which increases our fight or flight response on a day-to-day basis, but there’s more. Whether it is the expectation that we’re on call 24/7 or simply the habit of filling space, our increasing use of technology is keeping us from FEELING heard or connected.
Check out this article on the impact of a stranger’s cell phone on connection and intimacy, it’s wild: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-your-cell-phone-hurts-your-relationships/
For me I’ve chosen to fulfill my mission in a few ways:
- Challenging myself in my own levels of connection and intimacy in my own life such that I am walking my talk.
- Studying the topics of connection and intimacy and learning how to deepen my practice of this work with my clients.
- Advocating for coaches, consultants, mentors, creative and healers to integrate retreats in their business model.
Small retreats create connection and intimacy in a way little else can. Being seen heals wounds, drops barriers, and empowers us to be ourselves.
If you are the type of leader who can hold a safe space and is willing to speak the truth in a live experience, I invite you to consider incorporating retreats into your own business.
Leading transformation requires a willingness to bring truth forward, and in the space of truth there is no judgment. To bring truth forward for others, you must be willing to see it yourself.
“The degree to which a person can grow is directly proportional to the amount of truth he can accept about himself without running away.” ― Leland Val Van De Wall
If you’re inspired to lead retreats that heal and empower at the deepest level, I’d love to support you on that journey. Here’s the first step, just check out the three types of transformational retreats here: RetreatRevenueRoadmap.com