“In order to live a rich life, everything about who you are must be one, in alignment, and in pure harmony.”
~ Suze Orman
Entering 2022 feeling “on fire,” I am so grateful for the renewed energy and clarity of purpose I am now experiencing.
Bringing that joy to my clients and others I care about is such a delight.
Laying flat on my back, staring out a window for eight weeks as I healed from severe Covid, transformed me. Not only is my heart more open, but also the chosen pace of my life has become blissfully content and more balanced. No more rushing, or willing, anything.
Covid taught me new levels of surrender. As I completely let go, so many new doors began opening, personally and professionally.
I am, as one client/now friend (who also had Covid before I did) suggested I would be: “Stronger than ever.”
That strength comes from the long hours in solitude that helped me integrate new ways of being and listening for guidance. In finally accepting the quiet time— versus resisting it as some sort of punishment—I felt a peaceful, loving grace surround me.
Find people of capacity
Another major shift was becoming more aligned with people who had the capacity to “be there” and hold me in pain or power, in sorrow or celebration, or in lows or highs. I knew almost instantly who the new additions of my caring tribe would be, as they fit what I now call “a click and a stretch.”
The “click” is feeling an immediate connection, an ease, of meeting a like-minded other who appreciates and values all of you, as you are now, in your authenticity. There is no reaching or trying harder to be understood by this person. Instead, there is a wonder and awe in discovering each other, gently and kindly, with a sense of a divinely orchestrated dance occurring.
I believe these types of meetings happen when we commit to staying true to ourselves, and not settle for less than we deserve. Then, as trusts builds, a greater sense of peace and security arrives, knowing this person has our back.
The contrary, the misfit in alignment, can feel like a pit in the stomach, or a racing heart, or a nudge somewhere in your body that tells you something is off. Listen to, and honor, the wisdom of the body.
Within an organization, career or other opportunity, alignment can be a feeling of “coming home,” as I experienced when first training to be a coach 20 years ago. I immediately connected with the teachings and the participants in the room, sensing I found “my peeps.”
Expand through give and take
The “stretch” is an internal knowing this person, or opportunity, will help you grow and vice and versa. To stretch, we often have to let go of the steering wheel, and stay open to expansion. Our own limited thinking will often be challenged for our greater good as we absorb the gifts of another’s perspective. There is a sense of relief, in that you alone no longer have to do “the heavy lifting.” The responsibility for growth feels mutual, and you both give and take to help make one another larger than one could be alone. You also co-create a safety net, a nurturing and supportive place to land or regroup during the growth spurts.
The “click and stretch” mentality works well in corporate America, too, especially now with the ongoing “Great Resignation” (also known as “The Big Quit”) of employees leaving companies in droves.
I am blessed to coach some great corporate leaders who are shining their light in new ways. They bring empathy, compassion, and insights from their own healing journeys to the teams they manage, adding another dimension of care.
The pandemic, and all of the isolation associated with it, has created a greater need for this sense of care and belonging. We cannot feel we “belong” without being treated as worthy, which means to be seen, heard, validated and acknowledged. That level of witnessing another takes time and a commitment to being present—and often a pause to reflect on the exchange and its benefits (or harm) to us.
With a “click and stretch” mentality we choose to align with people where we can uplift and champion, and help expand, one another. Sounds simple, but it often has challenges, as noted in the book I frequently reference, The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks. As we rise up, others may leave or try to take us down, as we subconsciously threaten them with our success. That lack of ability to support another’s growth is their journey to heal, not ours.
Our job is to live our best story (not the one conditioned in from early life), claim our strength, and bypass both the internal and external saboteurs by honoring our power within.
We all have that greatness, and it is time to stop focusing on the circumstances of our lives or the world, and give our attention to claiming our unique gifts. The world needs our best selves now more than ever.
Keep growing through support and accountability
Step up to the plate with me this year.
I am offering some unique coaching packages:
- For past clients who have done my 6-session foundational packages for building a greater sense of worthiness, I am now providing a three-session “Jumpstart 2022” package, which includes creating clear, customized mantras and powerful intentions for the year, and helpful related handouts.
- Individual, 60- or 90-minute sessions also will be offered to past clients, for those times or growth spurts when one gets “triggered” and quick help getting centered again is needed.
- For new clients, the theme of my six-week foundational package is “Thriving as the Worthy and Empowered You.” The focus will be on clearing past blocks based on early life conditioning and creating the new mindset for personal and professional success.
Email gailjones@claimyourworthiness.com to register, or to set up a free, 30-minute consult to see how we can work together in 2022.
Embracing the wisdom of others
Exciting new podcast guests later this year will include some renowned love experts and internationally respected healers and thought leaders. Stay tuned for details.
In the meantime, you can listen to past episodes at https://claimyourworthiness.com/podcast/.
With Valentine’s Day soon arriving, I highly recommend, whether you are single or in a relationship, to listen to Dr. Gary Salyer’s episode on “Building SECURE Love.” You can find that specific interview from the February 9, 2021 episode at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-gary-salyer-building-secure-love/.
To keep listening to my future podcasts, please subscribe at Apple Podcasts to “Claim Your Worthiness-Intimate Conversations with Gail Jones.”
Or, subscribe to my Claim Your Worthiness YouTube channel, where all my podcasts and videos are uploaded:
And, until we meet again, here through my newsletter/blog or on the phone or Zoom, keep relishing the inner times of your life as you wait for your dreams to unfold.
In the words of Albert Einstein:
“When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have walked among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves.”
Let’s all use our influence to make our world a better place in 2022.
With much joy, love and gratitude for all of you,
Gail
Beth Scanzani offers the evocative photo above— of the Twin Lights on Thatcher Island in Rockport, MA. It reflects the brilliance of the early sun’s fire rising and the symbolism of the light houses as trusted guides to help journeyers find their way.
Gail Kauranen Jones is an intuitive coach, gifted wordsmith and inspiring teacher who has been leading others through transformation for more than twenty years. She is the author of two books, Cancer as a Love Story: Developing the Mindset for Living, and To Hell and Back…Healing Your Way through Transition. Both books were met with rave reviews on Amazon and elsewhere.
She recently appeared as a guest “worthiness coach” on CBS TV’s award-winning talk show The Doctors and on Sirius FM Radio. Her articles and “tips” on worthiness have also appeared several times in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper.
She has taught many leading-edge workshops at top spas and wellness centers. She now leads Zoom group coaching programs and is a guest speaker at many related events.
Gail lives a passionate and simple life writing, hiking, connecting in meaningful ways, aligning in joyful collaboration and thriving in nature.