Opening My Heart
There are two things that feel important to write about this week.
One is regarding the experience I had last week at my first leadership retreat, and the other is the 13-year anniversary of when my husband and I started dating.
What do these two seemingly separate events have in common?
A lot actually.
The most significant of which appears to be…
Opening my heart.
Opening my heart to total strangers…
Last week, I spent 6 days with 26 total strangers from all over the world.
China, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Brazil, Israel, Canada, and ALL over the United States.
Last Tuesday we were strangers, and now… we’re lifelong friends.
We spent ~14 hours a day with each other immersed in various exercises and activities. These exercises and activities were designed beautifully to bring awareness to the patterns that keep us from showing up in our full power and ability.
Patterns that keep us stuck.
We got broken…
Some of us were shattered.
I connected more deeply in 6 days with these total strangers than I have with people I’ve know my entire life.
What created this level of intimacy and connection?
Courage, authenticity, vulnerability, openness, and trust.
Courage to show up authentically, vulnerability to open our hearts and be seen, and a willingness to trust.
Opening my heart.
Opening my heart to my husband…
This week marks the 13th anniversary of when my we started dating.
We have been through a lot over the past 13 years.
There has been a lot of joy, intimacy, connection, growth, fun, and laughter, as well as a lot of hurt, heartache, pain, suffering, loneliness, and doubt.
Today, I feel more satisfied and fulfilled in my relationship with my husband than I have at any point in the past 13 years.
What has made the difference?
Courage, authenticity, vulnerability, openness, and trust.
Courage to show up authentically, vulnerability to open our hearts and be seen, and a willingness to trust.
Opening my heart.
Yes, having courage to open my heart.
It is not easy.
It requires a leap of faith.
It is not without fear.
It requires a tremendous amount of courage.
But… the results speak for themselves.
Deeper connections, greater trust, and more authenticity.
These are the things that really matter to me.
I am willing to open my heart for these things.
How about you?
What are you willing to open your heart for?
If you find yourself feeling cut off from yourself…life…and those around you, and would like support re-connecting, feel free to reach out to me. I love supporting people in connecting to their heart so they can live lives that really matter to them.
Simply click here and grab a spot on my calendar and we can talk.
In Ultimate Support of You!
Katharine
PS The retreat I attended last week was the first of four retreats that will take place over the next 10 months. In addition to these on-site retreats, there will be many opportunities in between for connection. I can’t wait to see what manifests over the next 10 months from courage, authenticity, vulnerability, openness, and trust. My sense is that the rewards have only just begun…
PSS I think my relationship with my husband has taught me more about myself, life, and relationship, than any other single thing I have experienced in my life. Being in an intimate relationship with another human being is like a mirror that provides endless opportunities to discover where I’m not seeing clearly. I feel so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given over the past 13 years to grow and transform in ways that I never would have been able to on my own.