Photo credits: Simon Berger & Jon Tyson
This might feel heavy …
And if it does, that’s because it is.
Today I want to write about legacy - yours, and mine.
What do you want your legacy to be?
We were asked this very first question when I took part in a life coaching programme with Paul Wielgus some 10 years ago. It felt rather heavy then, like I imagine it can feel for you as you read this. No beating around the bush, I remember thinking…
Not so long ago I gave you an update on where I’m taking holisto® in the coming months. As the layers of an onion, inner work is an ever-evolving process: every now and again you peel off one more layer, and more clarity is brought to the fore.
There are moments of heightened intensity, and those of you who are into energy work will know that the energy of much bigger entities, such as the stars and the planets in our solar system, has a bearing on anything and everything living on Earth.
The end of July until about mid August is one of these special moments. Over these days, Sirius, the biggest and brightest star in our skies (it’s about twice as big as the sun) reappears in the sky just before sunrise. This phenomenon is called a heliacal rising. Potent light floods the Earth, even if it’s a grey day like here in Sussex. This influx of energy - think turbocharged sunbeams - impacts us, to varying degrees depending on how attuned people are.
I can tell you that at Barr HQ everyone felt it on Tuesday (8 August is when we get even more energy, as the Orion constellation comes in alignment with Sirius and the Sun).
Everything felt like moving through treacle that day, our bodies were so tired and heavy that we all went to bed at 8.30pm!
Then over the next few days, as the energy surge recedes, we will progressively adjust and carry on going about our lives.
So if you’ve felt a bit out of sorts lately, it could well be due to Sirius.
You may also have, like me, been invited to join experts at a gathering -in person or online - in order to ‘tune in’ and get supported with your inner work.
OK, I know that there is a chance for you to switch off now, to close this page as it’s waaayyy too woo woo for you. If you do, I’ll completely respect that, but I’d love you to at least have the curiosity to finish reading this piece before you make a decision.
Having worked recently with the amazing Alicia and Eva, I attended the session they hosted to facilitate the integration of this week’s energy influx.
Thoughts started to trickle through overnight, and as I was walking back from taking the car to the garage for its MOT yesterday morning, the big insights came in.
These insights are linked to my legacy through holisto®, and point to the logical evolution (or the next layer if you prefer) for my services.
As Mother Nature healed me as I was recovering from my burnout, she also was the inspiration for my business. She inspired me for style - the green logo with the leaf, the brand photography in the woods, etc - as well as for substance - embracing the cyclical nature of growth, with periods of expansion and periods of contraction, rather than the pursuit of continuous growth at all costs.
Once these principles were established, the first few years have been about finding my voice, my own expression. This in marketing jargon equates to finding your position in the market. During that time I’ve been extolling the virtues of being true to oneself to grow an authentic brand, just like the flower which doesn’t think of competing with the flower next to it, and instead just blooms.
During this time I have also spent more time on my spiritual growth, and started encouraging others to do so, as I really believe that a lot of the angst and issues we are facing stem from a disconnection with our spirituality.
The analogy with nature came once more to me the other night: metaphorically we all are trees. We are rooted in and nourished by Mother Earth, with our spirit - like the branches reaching for the sky - being born out and connected to the universal, cosmic energy.
Like in the ancient forests, trees (us) grow in their own way: different shapes, different sizes, some growing in a cluster, some standing alone, some growing old, some dying young.
And like in the forest or any ecosystem, each of the living creatures, each of the trees, has a role to play. Each functions for and is supported by other elements for the wellbeing of the entire ecosystem.
‘Ubuntu, I am because we are’.
This is the big insight from my session with Alicia and Eva on Tuesday: the next dimension to my work is to help people - business owners, professionals, young adults - balance their self expression with their ability to join others, for their own benefit and the benefit of the collective.
In this new phase, it’s about understanding each person’s unique contribution, not in isolation but in cooperation with others: collaboration to co-create. As we all bring our unique perspective on things, through dialogue and a shared vision, we understand how best to support each other to achieve a common goal and thrive together.
As I help people find their authentic self, my work expands to help them understand not only their natural gifts, but also how these gifts can beautifully complement the talents that others have.
‘I am because we are’.
Well that’s where I’m at when it comes to my legacy.
Thank you for reading this until the end, I sincerely hope that this has inspired you and/or invited you to reflect and explore.
I’m downing the tools at the end of the week and will be back the last week of August.
In the meantime you can always access other pieces of my blog for tips and advice on finding your authentic self. You can also book a call to explore how I could help you on your journey, and we’ll talk on my return.
Until then,
PS: as I wrote about her in my previous blog, I wanted to share with you the legacy of Sinead O’Connor. As the article says, we often don’t recognise or realise at the time the actions are taken, or the words are written, what a person’s legacy will be. The realisation comes upon reflection, and sadly too often when the person leaves us.