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Small step back, big leap forward



Bem Vindo a Iracambi!  There's a lot to share tomorrow on Earth Day so let's do some quick housekeeping and catch you up on the back story of all this before we get into the juicy, new stuff.

I mentioned in my first post that in 2021 I was forced to do a life inventory.  Forced?  Strong word, but fitting.  

My work schedule was dizzying and relentless.  I was definitely asking "what's it all for?" like half the nation.  The priority was staying employed; inspiration could wait.  I clung to a few sustainability-related extracurriculars when I could: brands I leaned more into at work, volunteering on weekends.  My brain needed it, but the sum total of all that COVID wonkiness compounded the stress.  My health suffered. My fitness level plummeted.  I retracted socially. I tried making small routine changes, but nothing stuck.  Too little energy, too many excuses.

The day I hit the wall, I called my sister Lorri.  I was completely burnt out.  I couldn't see any way out of the hole I'd dug myself into.  My sister is a teacher whose compassion tank never empties.  She's also great at tough love: empathy and brutal honesty in the moments you really need it.  Her response to my call?  Something to the tune of "This has to stop.  Put yourself first for a change.  None of this is worth a heart attack and that's where you're headed." 

Ouch.  But she was right.

Now what?

The single best exercise that yanked me out of the quicksand was a Design Your Life session with my friend Amy, who is brilliant at helping people work through tough decisions with the right mix of head and heart. 

A timeline, list of goals and three key decisions surfaced from that exercise:
  1. Port Chester - or any primary residence in Westchester or Fairfield Country - was Out
  2. Sustainability as a profession was In
  3. A mentally and physically stronger Denise had to return
There you have it.  By Fall 2021 I put wheels in motion at a pace I could manage.  No lease renewal, no more downstate real estate searches.  Volunteering exchanged for on-line education and networking.  I quickly learned the sustainability profession needed budding conscious capitalists like me, especially with marketing and commercial backgrounds.  I had options. I landed a 14-month, full-time sustainability delivery role in another Informa division to cut my teeth.

And in January 2022, Christmas gift to myself, I walked into the Port Chester LA Fitness, tail between my legs, and said "I need help" and started personal training.

2022 was all about manifesting the decisions I made at that first big fork in the road.  Completely new journeys.  All still works in progress.  None of them easy.  But I feel squarely back behind the wheel of my own life, taking it where I want to go, getting healthier and stronger every day.  

At one of our executive management meetings several months ago, our President brought a health and wellness consultant in to work with our team.  After one exercise, the consultant asked us to share a short statement or sentiment we wanted the group to know.  When my turn came I said "I'm not done yet."

I most definitely am not.  Everything from this point on is about living a more impactful, intentional life.  We're going to talk a whole lot more about that. 

But for now, you have a small look back, so we can fast forward to 2023 and new adventures like what happens when your job and your lease end on the same day and that somehow translates into something magical....more soon!  Boa noite 💚







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