Alana Sheeren, words + energy

Summertime

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As a kid, I remember summer stretching out ahead of me. Long days of playing outside, dancing in warm rain, riding bikes through the neighborhood, watching fireflies light up the evening air and playing badminton in my grandparents backyard. The September long weekend was impossibly far away as I read book after book, ate homemade popsicles and invented new games with my friends.

As the mother of a newly-graduated kindergartner, summer feels unfathomably short. She starts school again mid-August and I chafe against this unfortunate side effect of living in California. We’re tumbling toward a sixth birthday and first grade at lightning speed. I want to dig my heels in and slow the spinning down.

My to-do list is short this summer. It’s been tattooing itself on my heart these last weeks:  slow down and savor this time. I want to rest, read, write, laugh, play, dance, make space both internally and externally. I want to enjoy my child, my husband, my friends. I want to sink deeply into peace and the trust that there is no rush. It’s all perfect just as it is. Right now.

This is the pace I want to enjoy this summer:

What’s on your summer list?

P.S. I’m thrilled to be contributing an article to the first issue of Revive Magazine. An inspiring free resource for women (particularly women entrepreneurs), you can get your copy here. It launches today. Let me know what you think!

 

 

 

 

Pause

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breathe
I needed to stop and take a breath this week. Transformation Talk be back next Thursday.

Transformation Talk with Karen Caterson

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Welcome to Transformation Talk. Every Thursday for a year, starting in September 2012, I’ll post an interview with someone who is a force for good in the world. These men and women have either deepened their passion or found their calling after experiencing a loss, trauma or diagnosis.

I want to broaden the conversation around grief and its transformative power. My hope is that in their words you’ll find echoes of your story. In their inspired actions, you’ll see yourself and your immense possibility.

*Special Request: The technology of Skype is amazing and imperfect. Please listen with your heart and forgive the occasional blips on the screen.

Today’s interview is with writer and square-peg Karen Caterson. I’d known Karen from the world of blogging and when Benjamin was stillborn, she shared with me the story of her son Christopher’s short life and death. This sent her on the path to being a psychotherapist, and eventually to the work she does now with “mindful non-conformists”.

Bio and link to download the audio version are below. Running time is 24 minutes. If you’re receiving this via email, click through the title to view the video.

Right-click or Control-click here to download the audio version.

In her own words:
Hi! I’m Karen Caterson, aka Square-Peg Karen. Are you a Square-Peg (i.e. mindful nonconformist)? Yes? Great! Let’s get acquainted – come visit me at Square-Peg People, where I encourage celebrating your uniqueness, building an X-treme self-care practice, and focusing on what’s right with you (not what’s wrong with you!).

Transformation Talk with Sas Petherick

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Welcome to Transformation Talk. Every Thursday for a year, starting in September 2012, I’ll post an interview with someone who is a force for good in the world. These men and women have either deepened their passion or found their calling after experiencing a loss, trauma or diagnosis.

I want to broaden the conversation around grief and its transformative power. My hope is that in their words you’ll find echoes of your story. In their inspired actions, you’ll see yourself and your immense possibility.

*Special Request: The technology of Skype is amazing and imperfect. Please listen with your heart and forgive the occasional blips on the screen.

Today’s interview is with coach and writer, Sas Petherick. The last decade her life has been intimately shaped by grief and loss. She speaks eloquently about the desire to run from these difficult emotions, and the incredible gifts that have come from learning to let them flow through her. I’m honored to have her telling her story here.

Bio and link to download the audio version are below. Running time is 36 minutes. If you’re receiving this via email, click through the title to view the video.

Right-click or Control-click here to download the audio version.

Sas Petherick is a writer and coach: a Life Transformer for people who want an Amplified Life full of woo hoo! moments. She spent almost twenty years helping thousands of people navigate change in their place of work, before a combination of loss and grief prompted her own transformation path. A CTI trained Co-active Coach, Sas is currently training with Martha Beck’s Life Coaching Programme.

Sas is coaching one-on-one and will be co-hosting Redfox Retreats in October 2013 with Susannah Conway and Meghan Genge. You can find out more at www.saspetherick.com and on the twits @saspetherick

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