The Power of Stepping into Your Power.
When we act boldly, we invite others to do the same.
The past few weeks’ posts have been dedicated to dissecting our Inward, Outward, Onward Practice for navigating life’s Fuck It All Moments. Today, we put a cherry on top!
Onward.
As we said last week, Onward is ALL about personal power. In embodying this phase, you have the capacity, spirit, and stability to outstretch your hands and bring others along.
Mantra - say it loud, say it often.
When we act boldly, we invite others to do the same.
An Anecdote.
A reflection from Katie - your resident FIA Mindset coach.
In 2018, I had the quintessential table-flipping FIA Moment, we’ve talked about at length. To once again quote our wise friend Kate Ryan Brewer (Ep 38 of the FIA Pod), “Sometimes when something needs to change, EVERYTHING needs to change.”
Ah, was she ever right.
Everything Changed.
Several years ago now, while living in Charleston, SC, my seven-year relationship came to an unexpected and abrupt end. Amidst therapy, heartbreak, and a nagging restlessness (which, to be fair, I’d be stifling for two years), I blindly followed my intuition - honestly, it felt like the only option at the time. And, in doing so, I chose myself.
Within a month, I quit my job, put my life in boxes and then storage, and accepted a new job—in Thailand.
Baffling friends and family alike, I struck out in pursuit of a new reality. And, damn, I found her!
Note: In many cases, this example would have therapists melting in their chairs. “If you run from your problems, they follow you!” LISTEN HERE, cross country running isn’t just a sport, it’s a lifestyle… Kidding! (kind of)
OR the dreaded classic, “Oh, she’s going to Eat, Pray, Love.” Babe, if you need to “Eat, Pray, Love,” get it! Yes! Been there. BUT - this has been a long time beef of mine - PLEASE do not assume that every brave woman who books a one-way ticket abroad is lost, searching, healing, or hungry for sex and pizza (although a 10/10 combo)!
My choice to live and work in Southeast Asia was the result of knowing myself deeply and, at last, providing myself with an opportunity to answer an Inward call I’d been hearing but neglecting to answer for some time.
Did I have the tools or words to explain that to others at the time? Absolutely, not! But, Darling, I have them now.
Again and again, we underline the importance of a supportive community. During moments of expansion, it’s common to lose members of your circle and gain new ones, which can be equal parts painful and empowering. This era was just that. In Thailand - for the first time in my life - I found myself surrounded by like-valued women whose life choices - nomadic, international, child-free, free, feminine-energy led, impact-oriented - reflected my own; and I felt emboldened and secure in their company.
Month after month, I stepped more into my power. I was doing purposeful work I loved. I belonged to a supportive community. I had wellness practices (mind, body, and soul) in place. My Onward phase was in full swing! I remember a long-distant phone conversation between Kacie and me, a few months post-relocation; she said, “You sound more like yourself than I’ve heard you sound in years - maybe ever?!”
Quick Pause (Yep, right before the climax - typical!)
It’s important to acknowledge that my life back in Charleston was not bleak. And, my move to Thailand did not cause the skies to part and the birds to sing. In fact, 7 years before my FIA move to Southeast Asia, I made an FIA move to Charleston, in response to a similar internal call during a moment of expansion. And I thrived in South Carolina… until I didn’t.
Confronted with change, I opened my arms and told myself I would adapt. I’ve done it before, I can do it again! This is what we loving call an FIA Mindset, something I’ve fostered many times over.
I chose to believe, that this FIA moment - like the others before it - was FOR me. And that these new opportunities presenting themselves were inviting me forward. It was a painful departure, and sometimes I still grieve that version of myself; she was pretty great, too. But damn, I’m proud of who I have become and the intuitive choices I’ve made in pursuit of my “it all.”
All of this to say, our life pivots are not always from the darkness into the light. Sometimes, they are light, to power outage, to light again. The blackouts can be brutal, but they also remind us to check-in with ourselves and take inventory of what is working, and what needs to change.
Selects *Resume* button.
Thailand remains a bold era in my life. Not only did I experience my own expansion, I witnessed, first-hand, the power of women to sustainably transformed their lives, their families, and their communities - myself included.
Kacie called me in January of 2021, two months after she launched the FIA Podcast. I had just been turned down for a job I was pursuing, and she rang me at 7 a.m. boldly asking (mostly because I hadn’t had coffee yet) if I would consider moving to Atlanta (from Washington, D.C.) to build a business with her.
I called her back 3 hours later - “I’m in!”
Together, as best friends and business partners, we’ve built IT ALL. A business dedicated to rewriting the narrative on modern womanhood, embracing feminine energy and supporting individuals stepping into their power. Onward, baby. Onward.
When YOU step into your power, the collective rises. This is our version of that.
All rise,
K + K
P.S. In case you missed it, read former posts of this series here -
Inward: The Anatomy of a Fuck It All Moment
Outward - Part I: Blowing Up Your Life: 101
Outward - Part II: What to Pack for Your Dream Life
Onward - Part I: I’ll Have What She’s Having