Possibilities I’d never imagined

I arrived on the ‘Stepping into your Power’ programme at a time in my life when everything was changing.

My responsibilities at work were shifting, and my husband had, unexpectedly, been offered a job in another country.

Over the course of the three-day programme, I was able to get clear about what really mattered to me, to focus on what I enjoy about my work, and what in my life I wanted to change.

This clarity allowed me to have an open conversation with my manager, probably more honest than I would otherwise have been, about my confused state and about what was most important to me.

I understood the power of connecting to purpose and what’s really important. I learned how to tune into my physical sensations, emotions and stress responses

Connecting to what really matters gives you a foundation from which to make decisions – big and small – about what to do next.  As a result, I got an outcome that I hadn’t even considered in my scenario planning. We concluded I could continue with my job by increasing the flexibility of where I did it from, effectively creating a joint base across London and Milan.

The programme also increased my awareness of my physical state, and how that impacts my emotional state and my ability to be effective. It offered practical ways to cope in stressful or high-stakes situations. Now, I can change my state of mind to be more grounded, more focused on the present, and more aware of my physical presence, especially in difficult meetings.

I regularly revisit where I’m at. I remind myself that I’m the owner of my life and that I can steer it. I also remind myself of the things that restore and refresh me – sports, creative art, and doing quality activities with each of my children – which keeps me in a healthy state of mind. I don’t know what will happen next, but I’m optimistic that I’m focused on what matters and what I want, and I’m less bothered about exactly how to get there.