#BestYearsAhead! — Blog — Athena Wellness

Thriving with R.A.I.N. in Times of Transition

No matter the territory you’re crossing, be it a professional transition or something more internal, like the head-to-heart journey I help my clients and students navigate, there will be highs and low that bring challenges and difficult emotions.

Here’s a practice I learned from a workshop I attended years ago that relates to the feelings that can arise when you claim ownership over your actions. It’s called R.A.I.N. and it's a Buddhist practice used by meditation teachers. It was popularized by Dr. Tara Brach, who is the author of books like True Refuge and Radical Compassion. It's a simple process that uses the acronym R.A.I.N. for the four steps: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture.

How to Recharge Your Morning Routine

I haven't met or read about someone I respect who doesn't have some sort of daily routine. As I studied their habits and lives, I understood that they built their realities deliberately and I began emulating their practices until I found a combination that worked well for me. But what I slowly realized once I brought my corporate career to a close and began my business, is the routine that supported me so well for years was no longer relevant.

I’ve come to learn that there are a number of reasons why your current routine may be feeling old and tired. Sometimes you just need a break to refresh your mind and body. Other times, changing things up a bit will infuse some much needed energy. Or it could be that a full revamp is in order. Pay attention to how you feel. If you’re unmotivated, tired or stressed, it’s probably time to make some changes.

Mind Mapping as a Transformational Tool

I’ve written about the importance of discovering and exploring a broad range of interests and how it can bring a sense of joy that spills over into other areas of your life. From a wellness perspective, learning new things is a wonderful path of self-discovery.

When I begin working with new clients, they usually don’t know how to discover what feels compelling. New interests can feel elusive. But a great way to explore such abstract ideas is through a process called mind mapping, a helpful technique to use when you are working through a life transition.

Inviting New Life Experiences

One of my favorite topics to explore with students and clients is how to discover and explore a broad range of interests in both work and play.

Why is this important? I've come to learn that creating a purposeful life based on what you love starts with learning how to spend time doing the things that bring you joy. And if you're anything like me, the many years you've spent building a career may have disconnected you from these activities and this feeling.

Carving out the time to explore doesn’t happen overnight. But when you start to make room, even a little bit, you’ll find delight in the discovery process as you cast a wide net to find the people, places and activities that call to you, whether they make logical sense to you at this stage or not. Being open to new and exciting experiences is part of living wholeheartedly. It becomes a new way of life.

Transcending Imaginary Cages

A story I frequently share is about a white tiger named Mohini who lived in the Washington D.C. National Zoo. For years, the tiger lived in a typical 12 by 12-foot enclosure with iron bars and a cement floor, spending her days pacing the cage. When her handlers finally gave her more space, they created an enclosure that spanned several acres and included vegetation, water and hills to wander.

But when the tiger was released into this expanse, she didn't spend her days roaming throughout the new space. Instead, she found a corner of the compound where she lived out her life pacing in a 12 by 12-foot area until the grass was worn.

Doesn’t this image snap you back to the times when you felt trapped in imaginary cages that you unconsciously built comprised of old patterns, beliefs or fears?

Permission to Dream Big

How do you begin to dream bigger? It can be helpful to revisit the past by spending some quiet time reflecting on your journey. You can do this by thumbing through old journals or pictures. Think of it as research (or me-search). Look for the decision points and actions you’ve taken along the way. As you connect the dots of major life events, you’ll see how you’ve naturally set intentions throughout your life and then taken steps to create your own path in that general direction.

As we mature, we can fall into a dreamless groove, thinking we’re too old or have too many responsibilities to focus on steps toward the life of our dreams. Here are seven ideas to be more intentional and get some dream momentum going…

12 Things to Consider If You're Thinking About Leaving Your Corporate Gig

I can remember it so clearly. It was about a month before I was planning to tell the Board of my decision to retire. Getting ready for work one morning, I froze with fear. It was gripping and it stopped me in my tracks.

The mental cacophony was relentless: “This is a life impacting decision. You’re throwing away more than three decades of work. Are you crazy?!”

Then a funny thing happened. A complete sense of calm permeated my body. The shift from anxiety to serenity was jolting. The mental chatter gave way to a series of matter-of-fact statements: “It’s time to embark on a new journey. You’ve been preparing your whole life for this. You’re fully capable of whatever lies ahead.”

In the wake of this brief moment, my energy felt peaceful, quiet and still. As I replayed the reassuring words in my head, they felt supportive and encouraging, and the tone resonated as truth. That moment happened in 2018. The fear never returned and the calmness has remained.

Do you feel overwhelmed with fear whenever you allow yourself to daydream about leaving corporate life behind? The good news is that we now live in a time when it’s completely acceptable to reassess our careers and what work means for us. But what’s the right decision for you?

Retirement is a Verb

Have you ever had one of those days when seemingly disparate thought streams keep swirling around in your head?

Like you, I’ve been trying to make sense of national and world affairs, feeling the unending waves of change and tragedy. Also occupying my mind these days is the unfolding of a new horizon of my work, which is focused on helping professionals who are contemplating leaving corporate life and those who have recently retired find meaning and purpose in this current stage of life.

To distract myself from all of this mental busyness, I listened to a favorite podcast while running errands early one morning. A guest was recounting a story of a decision a man made more than five decades prior to volunteer one hour of his time each week for a cause that deeply affected him. Through that one hour of pro bono legal work, the guest’s father was able to provide an upbringing for his children that he would not have been able to if it weren’t for that lawyer’s donated time. And one of those children, the man who was telling the story, dedicated his life to public service and currently serves as a U.S. senator.

That’s when all of my mental chatter converged and I realized that retirement is a verb.

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