2021 Birthday Reflections
It’s my 31st birthday! 🥳
This morning I went for a run with my longest best friend in life & when we got to the waterfall you better believe I jumped in and climbed right up it. You can see my feet at the top of the waterfall in this photo.
Looking up at the warning sky, feeling nature surround me, the water flowing through me, PLAYING even harder than I did when I was a kid. I’m basking in the simplicity and feel so fulfilled. I’m happy, aligned, and moving forward.
I’m not going to lie, 30 was intense.
I experienced the most intense panic attack of my life on my 30th birthday (I’ve had 3 since the pandemic started) as I sat down to eat crabs with my family (who I hadn’t seen since the pandemic started).
I’ve since learned, if you are having a panic attack… breathe in slowly and deeply as you tell yourself you’re safe and going to be okay. I was able to calm my extended birthday panic attack by doing some gentle yoga movements. Whatever you do, be nice to yourself and give yourself rest afterwards.
Life throws me these lemons and as sour as they are, I had to make something with this one. The panic attack woke me up to seek therapy and start letting go. Letting go of a lot. Unlearning. The great unravel. Whatever the hell you want to call it. Fuck, it was hard. Depression is hard, anxiety is hard, living in a pandemic is hard. This was by far the hardest year of my life, and I know I’m not alone in that.
There, I said it. Now let’s move on.
The small steps are what got to me where I am today, experiencing moments of immense joy, crying in the shower when I need to, building my new mindsets, creating new habits, optimizing my energy & monthly cycles, building a future with regeneration of nature and humankind at the top of my mind.
I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m learning & growing.
Now, a year later I’m working with clients who align with my core values and mission in life. I’m working with teams I enjoy, who value me for who I am, and I’m showing up exactly who I’m meant to be. Damn, that’s refreshing!
I’m working at a sustainable pace for me as I build my strength: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I now have the energy to work on more meaningful projects because I’ve done the work to put what’s important to me on the forefront. And I’ve spent a lot of time resting and recovering.
I’m having hard and meaningful conversations with my family and close friends. I’m building a healthy and safe relationship with a partner who I love very much (and yes, we met in a pandemic – it’s 💯 possible to meet someone who aligns with your values).
I’m composting my food & yard scraps, learning how to grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, and microgreens. I’m cooking my own food and shopping as local as possible everything I don’t grow. I spend a lot of time in nature breathing my biome, trail running, cold water dipping, and kicking back in a hammock.
So what?
I share my experience in hope of connection. That something I say resonates with you. Or at least help you understand where I’m coming from when we meet next. And to let you know that I’m always here if you ever need someone to talk to if you’re going through a tough time. Consider me Hans, I will pump you up!
And if I’m being honest, I think I need to write more. I need to share what I’m learning, unlearning, and continue to learn. It’s a feeling I get that I can no longer ignore. So get ready to hear from me more. 😉
Now back to my birthday. It’s my birthday, I’ll cry if I want to... but I will also PLAY, LIVE and LOVE! And yes, I’ve already cried once today thanks to Foti, Jess, Michelle and Alec over at Growth Mentor. Y’all are incredible people and I’m so lucky to help build community alongside you.
Growth Gal approved ways to celebrate with me this year!
Alright by no means do you need to do any of these. I just think it’s a fun idea to give you a glimpse into some of the projects I’m working on and give you ways to get involved if you feel inspired. I love you all! 💞🍻
- Schedule a call with me or another mentor on Growth Mentor.
The learning opportunities are endless and the people are kind and ready to help you with your growth! - Make a gift in my honor to protect American battlefield land from development.
I run digital fundraising strategy here & would love to show my boss how much my amazing community also wants to preserve and restore this land. - Read about what the little things have taught me in life & how to honor our loved ones.
I write for Eterneva, an amazing group of humans helping people through the journey of losing a remarkable loved one. - Take a cold shower!
Just let yourself feel how amazing cold water can feel and make you feel alive. This is the a free therapy that’s helped me build resilience among many other benefits & it can change your life if you let it.
- View some of my nature photos.
A mission in my life is to help people relax. I’ll be working on this website in the future to include more resources for helping you relax, but in the meantime, you can see some of the photos that have inspired me to live with this mission.
Now, I’m heading into the mountains to disconnect for a couple of nights in the historic Town of Bathe, where George Washington and countless other people through history would go to bathe, retreat, and heal. I’m going to get inspired! ✨