Cultivating Capacity and Stepping into Wellness.

Long post; stick with me here, it’s important.

Over the weekend I went to a mini retreat called “Cultivating Capacity” at Synergy Social Wellness in Canandaigua, NY. I keep my office there and am familiar with the building and the energy it holds, but this event held something different. The energy was palpable; an oasis of deep thought and resonance.

This half-day workshop, headed by Dr. Monica Lesslie and Erica Paolicelli (co-owners at Synergy), was aimed at opening ourselves to possibility, manifesting our dreams into reality. We spoke aloud our goals and aspirations. We did guided meditation, breathwork and introspective journaling. We ate brunch and laughed and ultimately did vision boarding to conclude the event and bring our visualizations to life.

It was a wonderful afternoon, full of introspective thought – A full community of seekers and dreamers, doing.
We spent our time being, becoming, and believing in ourselves and our community and I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next.

But something that Dr. Monica Lesslie said really resonated with me…

 She said “Don’t wait.”

She mentioned it in several different contexts and, apparently, I’m adopting it as my new mantra.

“Don’t Wait.”

See, Dr. Monica lives in California and she has witnessed, not only the destruction of the rampant wildfires in real time, but, more importantly, the way in which people are showing up for each other in light of the disaster. In a profound show of humanity, people are taking care of each other amidst tragedy and ashes.

She said “Don’t wait.”

Don’t wait until disaster strikes to get involved with your community. Don’t wait until you HAVE to do it for the sake of survival, get involved while things are good. Be a part of something that lifts you up in times of peace and is there for you in times of trouble too.

And that really resonated with me.

We have gotten so entrenched in technology, media and politics that we stand isolated from our brothers and sisters in real life. While finding a global community through technology we have neglected our local community. (ex: #shoplocal) The fact remains: we are stronger together, and everybody knows it.

It is increasingly important in today’s world to be familiar with your community. There is so much support, so many resources to be shared, and so many people to resonate with. Keep an eye out for community events you feel drawn to. Find your people. Get involved.

As a wellness collective, Synergy Social Wellness is hosting many, many community events and I urge you to take a look at our events calendar to see if anything resonates with you.

For an immediate example, on Feb 8th we are hosting a “Back to the Basics” homesteading / survival / natural wellness Market. It’s free to attend and we have classes, vendors and a whole community excited to embrace you. You should come.

But I digress….
The Cultivating Capacity workshop has had profound effects on my life in the days since attending and I wanted to share what I’ve been thinking about community, but also what I’ve realized about personal resilience.

The other “Don’t Wait” that Dr. Monica spoke of was pointed directly inward. 

Negative self talk and preestablished societal expectations can get in the way of your success despite knowing innately what you want out of life. Especially if you find yourself in a gray area, that incessant mental chatter can get really loud and prevent you from reaching your goals. That’s exactly why speaking your intentions aloud can have such a profound affect. Perfectionism, fear of failure, and all the doubts we have about ourselves have a tendency to hold us back from achieving things we know are possible for us.

And who are you really trying to impress, anyway? (I hope it’s yourself.)

The fact is, you don’t have to wait for anyone or anything at all to start being the person you want to become. You can start being that person today.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Identifying your personal vision of wellness.
Take some time to consider what values are most important to you. What do you want to be doing? In a perfect world, what does your life look like? Imagine the perfect day. Think about it. Ruminate on it. Once you have an idea of what you want to be working toward, take it a step further. 

Step 2: Conceptualize.
Put your vision into words. What would need to change in your life to bring your vision closer to your reality? Write down actionable steps that will get you closer to where you want to be. Consider what steps you could take even now, TODAY, to move toward these goals. Meditate on and visualize your success, imagining what it feels like to have succeeded.

Step 3: Action.
Start taking small steps toward your goal every day. Find the people and ideas that resonate with you and spend time with them. When you make a decision, consider whether or not it aligns with your core values and the vision of this wonderful life that you are trying to cultivate.

Most importantly, don’t lose hope.

Making changes isn’t always easy, but it sure it easier when you have a plan. Don’t wait any longer to build the life you deserve. If you need help navigating this newfound perspective, let me know. I’d be happy to help connect you with people and places that alight you. 

I’m on fire in a good way and I’m hell bent on lifting others up in the process. Setting goals doesn’t have to be boring or become a let down. Let’s hold each other accountable. You can do hard things and so can I.

So, Let’s not wait. 

What are you excited about this year? What do you want to be doing? What are you working on? Tell me everything, I’m listening.

-Alyssa