At the Threshold of a New Beginning. We Try to Imagine our Tomorrow
take the broken pieces of your life
bake a master cake of it
These aren’t normal times. “Something in me wants more. I can’t rest.” -Sylvia Plath. I have heard a similiar sentiment from so many lately! We long for something. That longing may be to shift our gaze elsewhere, to challenge how we name our creativity, to accentuate our identity, to produce new intuition, to feel the vitality of an embrace, deep love, expanded joy and peace. Life appears, unpredictably and fabulously imperfect. We can learn, forgive and let go of the broken pieces.
We are in a new normal right now. You may need to adjust your expectations of yourself during this time, not push yourself too hard and give yourself the love and compassion you need right now. Leaders are recognizing the need for inclusion - where organizations are welcoming to every individual at every level, and there is a focus on individuality - to know the realties and values of individuals.
If you don’t know who Madame Ghandi is - check her out. She is a millennial musician, artist, activist, and electronic music producer whose mission is to celebrate gender liberation. She came into prominence after purposely free-bleeding during a marathon - she wore red leggings and decided not to wear a tampon or pad. Her music and activism focus on female empowerment and fourth-wave feminism. She says about business school “the most important thing I learned is to be brave enough to tell the truth.” And this “may we utilize more feminine styles of leadership in the ways we do business, and reimagine systems that no longer work for us.”
A STORY FOR YOU. Practice Forgiveness & Let Go.
Usually I am not interested in talking about the past. Especially when it’s embarrassing. This story is about a BURN TRAUMA - that at the time seemed colossal. I shared a trimmed down version of it recently in a meditation class. Two Gen Z women were present and it suddenly popped into my mind, in relation to sharing how meditation can reveal buried or repressed memories; how it has a way of triggering emotions and distant memories.
It is a different kind of burn than being “BURNED” in a relationship with someone.
At 19, I spent a summer in Paris as a student. It was an immersion into French culture...music, art and language. An exploration of identity and desire. I’d drape myself in oversized jackets and denim on denim, a colorless palette of neutrals - essentially all things androgynous, hiding my femininity. It was the style then, I think of it now as a modern day bending of gender codes. I had a certain kind of daytime relationship with modesty. At night I’d hang out with creative worldly traveler types and put on black lacy stylish things to go out to the clubs. The mysterious and compelling culture of Parisian nightclubs attracted me - the architecture, the interior design, the avant-garde, the young dapper men. Edgy. Exciting. It was the time of techno explosion-European house music of the early 90s. Madonna was in Paris. I remembered the head-to-toe look of appraisal at the entry from the doorman. The thrill of the motion to gain entry. I did save one or two of those un-throw-out-able dresses for a couple of years until I came to know the pleasure of minimalism. Here’s what happened.
One night in a club I was in a very crowded corridor and a passerby holding a raised cigarette accidentally burned my cheek. Sizzle. Fire on face. Scream. I can still picture the circular red hole the exact size of the end of a cigarette that was branded on my face. I was horrified for weeks! It was a surreal and startling experience. It happened in an instant and it hurt - in so many ways. I experienced it all. Panic and fear. Anger and anxiety. Insecurity, shame and insomnia. It took some moons to heal and immense patience.
Sharing this moment in a meditation class brought forth many teaching points around presence, fight or flight and how our nervous systems function. Can you recall a moment where you were a complete ungrounded mess? I loved that there were two teen women engaged and listening, eyes wide open. I talked about self-forgiveness, equanimity, stillness, those valuable things that take time and practice to cultivate.
In thinking back to this particular “broken piece” experience, it was at that time I began to study Eastern Philosophy and Meditation. The gift from the setback. It was a miraculous morning the day I looked into the mirror and it had vanished. Just like that.
I wish you much peace and joy (and cake and ice cream), in your endeavors and in this more compassionate world we are creating - together. And, I encourage you to check out my new Breakthrough Session!
With love, Sascha
Our passion is in helping people break through barriers to satisfaction that arise in every part of life: Work + Love + Play