Self-Leadership and Collective Well-Being

"Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. "

- Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

When you write, speak, post or share… are the words you choose reflective of the legacy you’d like to leave behind in this world?

Are they what you want future generations to see about who you are and what you contributed to the world you live in?

We are at an urgent phase in our society in terms of mental health.

And we are in need now more than ever of leaders who are showing us new ways of living and leading our lives. Leaders who introduce us to completely new perspectives that challenge us towards self-mastery and self-leadership.   We are immersed in a world filled with unhealed trauma, which leads to so many self-protective mechanisms that are not conducive to our mental health or collective wellbeing.   In my personal journey and working with clients for many years, two key ways to pull us out of the fog of self-doubt and negativity are to:

• experience things that challenge us and empower us with a sense of agency
• combine that with connecting with others in real-time, using the movement and machinery of our bodies and social-engagement-mechanisms

When we do build our own sense of agency and autonomy and ability to connect deeply with others, we build resilience and a steadier sense of wellbeing.  This is what self-leadership is about.  Becoming our strongest, most evolved and mature self so that we can contribute to and benefit from the power of human connection and love.

To get better as a species, we need more evolved Self-Leadership, and models of how to do this from people who are learning to do this for themselves.  What are new ways of living that you could consider to increase your self-leadership, resilience and sense of family, partnership, purpose, community and connection  in 2023?  Part of my plan for creating this is becoming a Wilderness First Responder - part of a bigger long-term vision.  The quote below is part of the beautiful curriculum I’m learning for the training. Looking forward to sharing that journey with you

On a side note...

After speaking with my sister and realizing how much easier it will be for me to visit Calgary on a regular basis, I'm open to moving to Montana very soon!  This is all dependent on the options that come up.  I have a couple of leads (although so far these are for later in the spring).  One of my main priorities in 2023 is to lower my cost of living as much as possible so I have more flexibility and options for various idea I have for the future.  If any of you know of shared accommodation in Flathead Valley MT any time starting first week of February, please email me at hello AT stefaniefaye DOT com

“The summit is not the only place on the mountain.”

― Laurence Gonzales

Sometimes we have to let the ebbs and flows, the ups and downs, the dark phases of pain and challenge shape us into something we never would have predicted.  Don't give up - whatever dark space you may be in right now.  It is building strength within you.  Part of that strength comes from the pain and discomfort of vulnerability where the only way out is to open up to love and to something bigger than yourself - which includes support and connections that you currently maybe don't see, but are there for you when you tune in to a place of self-compassion and acknowledgement of the strengths you have already demonstrated to get you this far.  What have you already overcome?  That force is still in there with you.