Lead your year with love

Happy New Year! I hope the end of 2023 treated you well and that your heart is full of optimism for the year ahead. 

My 2023 was filled with extreme highs and lows. It seemed to have a theme of "I didn't see that coming!" I experienced adventure, pride, joy, and beauty, but also felt T-boned by heartbreak and challenges.

Over the last several months, for example, I've stepped into a caregiving role for my mom, which has been both heartbreaking and heart-opening. I didn't see that coming, especially while still having young children. 

But then, I also broke a personal record in my half-marathon, challenging old beliefs about what my mind and body could do. And, in November I hosted an unforgettable retreat for coaches in my hometown of Portland, Oregon that I hadn’t planned at the beginning of the year. 

Only months before the race and retreat, I traveled to Maui with my husband and girls for a family vacation, where we ended up narrowly escaping the horrific fires that destroyed Lahaina and other parts of Maui. We definitely never saw that coming. 

Isn't that life's theme? All the things we didn't see coming, from incredible, beautiful experiences to those that stop us with fear and heartbreak. 

But, if you’re like me, you might plan and grip tightly to what you want and expect to have happen only to have life deliver other plans so then you might find yourself feeling lost, scared, depressed, or anxious about the unwanted or unknown. 

So, what do we do with all of this “life” that lands on our lap that might be magnificent or hard as hell? 

I suggest we look at where we're leading with love versus fear. 

Fear can make us dread tomorrow, avoid conversations, stay awake at night, and be afraid that money is drying up and people are leaving us. 

Love, however, lets us live in the present moment, take a deep breath, have brave conversations, rest, embrace abundance, and know that divine love never, ever leaves us.

As you look ahead to 2024 and the experiences you hope for—whether it's more business, new relationships, more adventure, or more peace—know that whatever you want will come to you when you lead with love, not fear.

We’ll talk about this more in the coming weeks. I look forward to connecting, learning, growing, and embracing empowered, fierce love in the year ahead.

All the best!

Sarah