Who's under the mask, and how do we find our way back there?

You're a leader, you're ambitious, you want to make a positive impact in the world, and it's mayhem out there, the complexity, the changing external tides and the internal organisational challenges - your team, the board, funding, impact reports… and somewhere in there an 11pm email as well I imagine.

You are spinning a lot of plates right now.

You are the one everyone comes to. I wonder who you go to?

We all have our masks, don't we - it's how we work, how we connect, how we do business.

Our 'who we need to be to show up', or rather 'who we think we need to be', and 'who we have to be to survive' in work and in a culture that's not always supportive, compassionate or kind.

Even in the sectors that are meant to be the 'good' ones.

You can wear the mask for so long you forget it's there. And underneath is the person who cared about all this in the first place (reminds me of politicians who had good intentions at the start of their careers….!).

So who is this person? And where is this person? Did they get lost? Lose identity amidst the more 'urgent' priorities?

How do we connect back? How do we come back to ourselves? How do we come 'home'? How do we find our essence again? Where is the path?

I found my way back to mine through the land.

I live in Cumbria and I feel the resonance of our ancestors and the land itself every day. It's the reason I returned here 25yrs ago: to feel the connection and belonging to something vastly bigger than me. And through that, to rekindle the connection with myself.

I grew up here - and as a kid you'd find me dawdling in the meadow, looking after our tiny flock of sheep, biking to the river for whole afternoons with a gang of pals, and lying hidden in the field with a sketchbook and pencils, examining every minutiae of the underworld.

It's utterly part of me, and I'm utterly part of it. So when life gets loud, this is where I come back to. (How lucky am I?!)

So for me I guess there are 2 things I know to be true - and I'm unwinding this as I type:

1 - Connecting back with nature lets us connect back to ourselves. We know this and the science now confirms it. The trees, bare grass on your toes, the soil in the veg patch. It lets us breathe out, let go, reset - 'let down'. Sometimes we can't see the tension we hold until it's released. I witness it in every outdoor coaching session.

2 - Connecting back with your core self, which also means having the compassion, patience and courage to 'listen in'. This is perhaps the key to aligning yourself, your values and your purpose with the chaotic, turbulent world outside. We know this deep down, why don't we allow ourselves the space to make it possible?

How about you? What's your truth? Where do you need to come back to?

This week, maybe take your shoes off. Stand on some grass. See what you notice.

I hope this sparked something beautiful inside you and that you'll carry the magic throughout your week. Have a great day!

Kate

PS

If it's too tricky to do solo I invite you to come do with me, in person or by phone while standing barefoot. You may be surprised at what can happen.