“You only grow by coming to the end of something and by beginning something else.”
― John Irving, The World According to Garp
“I was not ready for certain aspects of my life to be over.”
Have you ever said or thought this? Looking back on my own “Ages & Stages” of life, there have been a plethora of beginnings and endings.
Childhood innocence
Physical attributes and/or health
Good times with family or friends
The beauty of nature and traveling to a new location
Having a child fall asleep or carrying them in my arms
Solutions, when things clicked, and we came together as a team
Jobs, vacations, volunteer experiences, sports, friendships and more
Perhaps I took many of them for granted in the moment, so when they ended, I felt a bit disappointed. But one of the great realities of life is that it’s not meant to stay the same. Change cannot be prevented or avoided, just as the transition through our Ages and Stages of life are inevitable as well.
Many beginnings had an unexpected incline that brought feelings of happiness, comfort, joy, and/or love.
Many endings had an unplanned departure that brought feelings of melancholy, pain, anguish, and/or fear.
Sometimes the opposites were true.
“Joy is our delight when we experience, celebrate, and anticipate the manifestation of those things we hold with the most significance—like a birth or graduation. Sorrow is our response to the violation, destruction, or deterioration of such sacred things.”
― Pamela Ebstyne King, Ph.D “What Is Joy and What Does It Say About Us? | Psychology Today”
Our purpose, values, and beliefs come into play as we deal with the ups and downs of life. When we become aware and accept how joy and sorrow can go together, as interconnected forces, we have a new choice for how they will be perceived going forward:
To embrace what was and allow what comes next.
To find the blessing or lesson in each encounter.
Having a greater understanding about the What, When, Why, Where, and How of things can help with our objectivity. When our children were young, we found it helpful to give them more context when asking them to “make a change”. They may not have always agreed with what we were asking them to do, however they understood our reasoning and it seemed to help.
One of our favorite things to do in this 2nd half of life has been to travel with our adult children. They have taken on a greater role in guiding our agenda and itinerary, and it has been inspiring to learn from them in each encounter. These experiences have been priceless.
This same philosophy can be extended to individuals, businesses and teams in order to bring people onboard and allow their own curiosity and wisdom to help guide solutions going forward. A CULTURE bridge is established with Communication, Understanding, Leadership, Trust, Unity, Respect, and Energy. There is so much that can be done when we bring our team onboard.
Let’s build these cultural bridges together, shall we?!
4th Quarter Happenings:
1. Consulting and Coaching Opportunities:
INDIVIDUALS: Embrace your beliefs, purpose and values to create more joy and abundance in your life. FREE “Dare to Dream” Info Session on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 9am Central (REGISTER) - update: date & time was changed from the 14th to the 18th
BUSINESSES: Close out 2023 strong, and develop your goals and CULTURE roadmap for 2024 in order to align the mission, vision, values, products, services, goals and objectives of the company within your team (LEARN MORE)
2. Values Community Activities:
WORLD VALUES DAY October 19, 2023, 2:30pm CDT – FREE “Activate Your Values Workshop” led by Eben Greene, Ipek Williamson, and Susan LePlae Miller (REGISTER)
US Values 2023: Collaboration, Grace, Integrity, Kindness, Respect, Unity
US Values Alliance 2024 Values Selection Committee (message me if you’re interested in joining the US Values Alliance as we prepare for the new year)
3. Empower Your Breast Health Activities:
BDQ (Breast Density Intelligence) Action Plan Press Release
Walk and/or donate to honor Survivors, Thrivers, and Previvors - Sunday October 15, 2023 at 10am Central. (DETAILS)
4. Conferences:
5. Books available for purchase (signed copies):
Mission Hope: Thriving Through Seasons of the Soul (HERE). Susan authored Chapter 3: Reclaiming Value(s)
Culture Impact: Strategies to Create World-Changing Workplaces (HERE). Susan authored Chapter 9: Team Impact: Bridging Culture
I am a Values Culture and Partnerships Consultant, Mental Fitness Coach, Author and Poet who has raised a family of four (now adult) children in the process. I help individuals and teams ignite a renewed clarity of purpose, values and action in order to achieve success utilizing my mantra: "Know your value, Live your values"
Please reach out if you’d like to learn more.
May you always “Know your value, Live your values”.
✨Susan