The heart-healing power of women in community
When I first got divorced, I began to realize just how much I had become disconnected not only from my friends, but from a support network of women. It had happened so gradually over the period of about three years without me even realizing it, until I found myself feeling really alone. “How could I have let this happen?”, I kept asking myself; berating myself really. I was so mad at myself that I hadn’t seen it happening and that I had let it happen. I mean it’s not like I was a naive 20-something. I was in my thirties for goodness sake and should have more control of my life.
I really did feel out of control at that point in my life. I felt like a total failure, consumed with guilt, sadness, and bitterness. This was not how I had envisioned my life. What was I supposed to do now? Thankfully I had some really amazing people who were there for me once my marriage ended who I could really lean on during those early days of grief and untethering. I’m so grateful for them.
I’m also grateful that I was in the midst of training for a marathon, which anchored me to a goal, a training schedule, and some incredible running buddies who kept me focused and also allowed me to spill out my feelings during long training runs.
It was at this time that I discovered CrossFit. I heard it mentioned by someone, and somewhere deep inside of me I had the nudge to check it out. So I did, and ended up going to a free class. I was hooked. Perhaps it was the challenging workouts that took my mind off my divorce stress, or maybe it was doing something completely out of my comfort zone, but I started to feel a small sense of control tiptoe back into my life.
I also met a group of amazing women in the CrossFit community, who to this day I am blessed to call my friends. It’s a friendship connection that was established during crazy tough workouts at 6am. There’s something about seeing people with bed-head and no makeup, working their buns off that is both inspiring and motivating. We bonded over a shared love of the outdoors, health, active living, travel, adventure, and lots and lots of laughter.
For the first time in a long time I felt accepted. I felt connected and like I belonged. I started to feel more like “me”, more in control, stronger, secure in my sense of sense, and like I would be okay.
For the past 12 years, my group of “adventure girls” have kept each other active, inspired to reach new goals, supported, motivated, and most importantly, loved. There have been babies, relationship challenges, health scares, family stress, death, job losses, and business startups. There has been lots of advice given, texts sent, hugs, laughter, tears, and always some sort of adventure. We’ve hiked the Inca Trail, ran the Grand Canyon, toured Portugal, ran the trails of Bryce Canyon, trained for marathons, and gotten up early to see the sunrise on Prairie Mountain, just to name a few.
And through it all we stay connected. Not always regularly, but always knowing that the connection is there.
I’m so grateful that I followed my intuition to start CrossFit. Because it led me to so much more than a good workout. It led me to regain my sense of self and control. It led me to meet an amazing group of girlfriends who have kept me grounded, supported and motivated through so much. I have learned so much from each one of them and am so grateful that they are always up for an adventure. And if I text them at 6am, I always know they’ll respond right away!
One of my greatest lessons from my divorce experience was the importance of having a community of women around me. Women who are supportive, encouraging, uplifting, honest, vulnerable, compassionate, kind, and loving. Women who lift me up when times get tough, and women who celebrate when times are fun.
A commitment I made to myself was to never disconnect from my community again. I intentionally started to create a circle of women who I could rely on, learn from, be inspired by, and who in turn, I could support and encourage as well. I continue with this intention to the present day, and have also taken this commitment into my business, which is how The Wisdom Collective got started.
The Wisdom Collective is a supportive, heart-centered community of women. It’s a space for women to share and be vulnerable in a nurturing, compassionate, and understanding environment. This 6-week community coaching experience taps into the collective wisdom of women so that we can all learn from each other.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, stuck in ‘groundhog day’, ruminating instead of sleeping, feeling like a failure, without purpose, or too much in your own head - you’re not alone. And it’s possible to create strength, courage, and confidence to make lasting change in your life.
In The Wisdom Collective you will learn how to reduce overwhelm, doubt, and fear so that you can show up in the world from a place of calm, clarity, and control. This means you’ll make better decisions, have more energy, improve your health and wellness, and be more satisfied, productive, and happy.
You deserve this.
These are my “adventure girls”. This 2019 photo is from Bryce Canyon, one of our many adventures that I’m truly blessed to have been part of.
When I was healing from my divorce, one of the things I did was write out who I wanted to be in my next chapter. I knew for sure that I wanted to be someone who had a supportive community of women around me and that I would never lose this again (because during my marriage I became disconnected from much of my female support network).
I committed to building and cultivating strong connections that are mutually supportive, judgement-free, collaborative, and inspiring.
When women come together in support of one another POWERFUL things happen. Say yes to this experience so we can create your next (and best!) chapter together.