A few words on embodiment on my 46th birthday

I turned 46 years young today. One insight that has been on my mind this entire year is the concept of embodiment. Embodying means to truly represent an idea or persona in concrete terms. To truly embody something indicates that you have had a full-body, felt, lived experience of that thing/state/experience. It means that you didn’t just think it or will yourself into that state but that you actually know how it feels to be in that state. Why has this occupied my mind? Well, I am noticing the value of all of the difficult and rewarding experiences I’ve had over the last 46 years. I’ve also been speaking to an array of people throughout the year who want their lives to move to the next level; however, they aren’t allowing themselves to go through the natural evolution of embodying experiences that will lead them to the next level. Folks are trying to find shortcuts for the embodiment phase. I know it’s hard and uncomfortable. But it is so necessary.

Case in point, my decades-long experience of working in complex, fast-paced, relentless corporate roles have allowed me to have a lived daily experience of what it feels like to make it through the ranks after years of toiling. These experiences led to embodiment which then led to being able to start my own business. I truly believe that if I did not have those years in corporate America, I would not be as effective and have a full grasp of what it means to lead. Conversely, in my personal life, I’ve experienced dark nights of the soul, breakdowns in personal relationships, grief and disappointments. I’ve embodied each of these states which have given me a figurative pair of glasses to observe the world and myself.

If anyone cares about what this newly minted 46 year old thinks…I’d like to underscore the value of every FELT experience. You have to go through it and stay in it for awhile for it to take root. When you do, you are able to tap into an innate intelligence that allows you to confidently navigate your dreams and goals. So, view the hard-knocks experiences that entrenches and the highs that buoy as essential on your hero’s journey. We are in it every single day for the FELT state so that at 46 years old, it all makes sense when we look back.