Thank You for Connecting

Dear all,

I haven’t written a newsletter in an unusually long time. I could blame this on the business of life, but the deeper truth is that I haven’t known what to say. I love connecting with people and I consider myself fortunate to have authentic interactions every day in my office. I think about these relationships and enjoy touching base, especially at the end of the year. But somehow a message of “Happy Holidays and Cheers to a New Year” just doesn’t feel like a genuine check-in anymore. Like many of us, I thought that 2020 would be as collectively hard as it gets.  But these last few years have continued to challenge us and now it’s impossible to meet someone who is not impacted by the weight of our current socio-eco-political realities. We are personally eroded by economic stress, we’re attuned to the fragility of our human rights, and we’re aware of our neighbors’ suffering, both globally and locally, like never before. To believe that the turn of a calendar page will somehow wipe the slate and reconcile the world’s pain is naive to say the least. So how do we find hope for a new year when it could very well be more of the same? I think it’s important to bring awareness to how far we’ve come.

I consider myself to be in the business of listening. I listen carefully to what people say and how this pairs (or doesn’t) with the nonverbal messaging of their bodies. It has been fascinating to witness common patterns in this communication over the past several years. From the onset of the pandemic, we have been called to recruit strategies to manage the stress and fear of unprecedented change. I think many of us quickly realized that the coping mechanisms we’ve historically relied upon just weren’t going to cut it for the long haul. I’ve watched folks struggle with their physical and mental health, with relationship breakdown, with professional burnout, with identity erosion, and with existential realizations. In short, there’s been tremendous loss and the grief for these passings has moved through bodies in myriad ways. But I believe that we’re settling into the hardy nucleus of change and we’re understanding that taking care of ourselves is no longer a luxury. I am seeing a resilience and an agency in folks that wasn’t there before. There is a collective tenacity that is surfacing, and it is inspiring people to choose healthy and authentic ways to show up.

I want you to know that I see you and that you’re doing a great job. I know some of you are feeling full from a joyous holiday and that's ok. You're allowed to feel joy. In fact, it's necessary to savour that now more than ever. I know some of you are struggling, and that's ok, too. You're allowed to struggle when you're growing. Regardless, each time you've chosen to come in for an appointment this year, you’ve committed to be in your body - in your place of power. And that has been a gift for both of us. I know that you’re doing this in many ways outside of my office, too. Even if you don’t feel like you’re making headway, I assure you, you are. My New Year’s wish for you is that you keep choosing yourself with compassion and courage, even when that means making change or finding new ways. That is how we’re going to get through this together because it’s only when you’re taken care of that you can connect with and serve others. What can you do for yourself this year? I hope that I am a part of it. Thank you for your trust and time.

Best in 2024,
Alicia