Business thrives when we thrive
The other morning reminded me that I am human too.
I want to share a story that was unfortunate, but in a strange way, also fortunate.
At 6:00 am, I fainted on my kitchen floor.
I had an embedded tick, and after a trip to the ER, thankfully, I am fine. The doctors checked me out, and the good news is that physically, everything is okay.
What they explained is that my body likely reacted through the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is part of the body’s built-in protection system. When we have experienced stress or trauma, it can become more sensitive and more easily activated. Suddenly, what feels like a moment of fear, overwhelm, or shock can create a much bigger reaction than we expect.
When my son said, “I think you have a bull’s-eye,” I became instantly worried. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on the kitchen floor.
That experience frightened me. But it also reminded me of something I already know, and maybe something you need to hear too.
Stress is not something to push through forever
We often treat things like rest, yoga, breathwork, massage, quiet time, fresh air, or even taking a hot shower as if they are luxuries.
They are not.
They are not extras. They are part of staying healthy.
There are so many practices that support the nervous system: yoga, breathwork, EDMR, brain spotting, Havening, massage, a walk outside, deep breathing, or simply giving yourself permission to pause.
These are not rewards you earn after you have done enough.
They are part of how you remain well enough to keep living the life you want.
Nobody can deny that stress impacts the body. Stress accumulates quietly, like pebbles filling a backpack one by one, until suddenly you realize you have been carrying a mountain.
I think that is what happened to me.
Especially after 50, we need to stop glorifying exhaustion
So here is my loving reminder, especially if you are over 50:
Please stop running yourself
into the ground.
I spent much of my life running (I got very good at it). I got a lot done. I even became a productivity coach.
And I still love being productive.
But I also love my rest.
I have been befriending my friend the Queen of Rest. I am practicing the duality of productivity and rest which are not opposites. They are partners.
One without the other creates imbalance.
You cannot pour endlessly from a cup that has been left sitting in the sun, cracked and empty.
The women I know, especially the coaches, helpers, caregivers, and entrepreneurs, are often the ones most likely to keep pushing while ignoring their own needs.
We are so good at helping everyone else become their next level.
But we must help ourselves too.
Rest is part of making your dreams real
I still want to make a living.
I still love my work.
I still love serving the people I serve.
Dreams deserve to come true.
But we do not make those dreams come true by sacrificing ourselves along the way. We create them by building a life and a business that can hold both ambition and restoration.
That is why I care so deeply about helping women, especially coaches and spiritually-minded women, step into their next chapter without burning themselves out in the process.
That is also why I am so excited about our retreat this September at River Moon Retreat House.
It will be a space to slow down, reconnect, breathe, and remember that becoming your next level does not require abandoning yourself.
Today, though, I am simply grateful to be healthy.
Waking up on the kitchen floor scared the daylights out of me.
And perhaps that moment was also a reminder from the universe, arriving with the subtlety of a cymbal crashing in a quiet room:
Take care of yourself.
Be well.