This is Messy ...

It's Messy ...

Actually, it's me that's messy.  My birthday is coming up and it's always a great month for reflection.

Where am I in my life?

Am I living courageously?  Am I being unapologetically me?

This year feels different.

It's been a super hard year and then a few months ago I was diagnosed with cancer.

It's one of those phone calls that no one wants to get.

I took the photo above in the waiting room before today's procedure. (Huge fan of the Grinch!)

I am not a fan of being messy.  Who is, right?

And, we all have messy moments.

As I have moved into my 6th decade spinning around the world, I have learned that being messy is part of the deal.  It's part of the package whether I like it or not!

I am sharing this because I see my own hesitation to reach out, to ask for help, to share things that are personal and messy.

I call this hesitation when I see it in my clients and myself:  Turtle ing or Turtling.  Just like a big sea turtle, my inclination is to pull in, hide out and push through.  

Maybe this resonates for you.  

For years I embraced my fierce independence and lone wolf mentality as the only way to perform at a high level.  

I see now that achieving at a high level in solo mode is definitely possible and it's lonely and ultimately much less satisfying.

Maybe one of the gifts of this experience is for me to practice sharing my messiness and asking for help.

If my being messy and sharing this helps just one person to reach out, ask for help or to connect, it's a win.

So, if you are reading this, I would love to hear if you resonate with turtling and how you might courageously reach out.

 Love, 

Shannon

PS As many of you know, each birthday I offer a gift to my peeps.  As a firefighter we bring cake and ice cream to the station on our birthday for our crew.  My way of extending that tradition to my crew now is to create space in December and January to help a handful of people.  How we use the time is up to you.  You can bring a challenge, we can plan out a magical 2024 or whatever would be fantastic for you.  My company foots the bill for my time.  If you would like to grab one of these spots, please reply to this email with the subject line: Birthday Yes! I look forward to giving this gift to you.

  P.S.S. I am feeling massively grateful for my amazing medical team headed by my friend Dr. Sara.  I feel totally and completely cared for on the medical front.  I am beyond grateful for the serendipity of my son choosing her daughter to dance at the school talent show as kindergarteners!  We might not have bonded had that magic not occurred! 

  P.S.S.S. I would love to hear from you.  And, I have a boundary around cancer stories and cancer care suggestions.   I don't have the band width for those.   With that boundary in mind, I'd love to hear from you.