Compassionate Support Through Change ...

It's never lost on me, that for true holistic healing, through challenges, changes and transitions in our hearts and lives - acknowledgement is everything.  It truly is.  I've been reminded of this recently in my own life, and I wanted to write, with a little vulnerability here, but only because, by writing and speaking what is true for me, you may feel something similar, and feel supported here.  I hope so.    

I believe that just like the seasons of nature, we all have seasons within us, through change.  When we are going through something that's challenging, or moving through any change - big or small - however it is for you - there are always phases and stages that we journey through.  Just like the seasons of life.  And each stage and phase asks for our acknowledgement, and to not rush the process, to not place expectations or pressure on ourselves, to not be trying to strive or to achieve some end goal.  Until we are ready.  And I believe, when we learn to listen to ourselves, we know to honour and to be within all these phases and stages of change, and to just lean in.  This to me, is compassionate support.  How I deeply believe in supporting others.   How I deeply believe in supporting myself.  

I am passionate about feeling empowered, liberated and free through anything and everything we live with.  You can read a more about that in my last blog piece  and listen to a little YouTube clip I spoke to on this too.  And a podcast episode!  You can find them all through this site. So, you can tell this is really something I feel passionately about! 

But what I am equally passionate about is acknowledging the truth of each individual and personal lived experience, and to truly hold space for all of that, to be with someone with compassion in the true sense of the word - being there, within it all, truly alongside.  I've always said there's no pain that's too much for me.  There's no experience I'm not willing to be 'within' to support someone through.  There's nothing that's ever too much or that I don't believe I can hold with compassion and support.  I also believe that we can transcend and move through all our experiences, to feel empowered and liberated and free.  But we don't just jump from one stage to the next with healing, there are phases we move through to be ready and willing for change. 

We move from one phase through to the next. And with the first phase or acknowledgement, comes a true holding of space and understanding of all the feelings and emotions.  All are valid. All are true.  All deserve and ask for space to be seen, heard, listened to, and held with compassionate support.  

Recently in my own life, behind the scenes, as most of us do at some point, there's been a challenging time I've been moving through.  I don't talk to many people about my personal life, it's not supportive to me to do so in a 'public way', and I just believe that through my own changes in life, I've become discerning and wise with who I share with in a trusting way.  This is part of healing for me that I've come to know is very true.  And I know this has only grown deeper since being part of the self improvement and self help space. There can be such an expectation, even an urgency at times, that we must move through something very quickly, we must get over it, or move on, or just say and share the positive and uplifting things.  And I feel the opposite is true, and even unhelpful for us all.  Even hurtful at times too.  And I have noticed for myself, through this time in my own life, this sense and feeling from others in the improvement world.  And it's made me reflect, not only as a health professional and coach who believes deeply in supporting others.  But how it's felt for myself, especially from others in this space.  I've felt this need to quickly improve myself.  To only share with someone when I am feeling empowered. Or to not share, because I might be saying 'this is hard, this is how it feels for me right now' and mostly, others so often only want to know or hear the 'improvements' or the lessons and growth, or the transformation through it all.  And perhaps we're just not there yet.  And do we really need to be.   

It's just like stages of grief - there is no timeframe or timeline. There's no A to B.  It's the same with any challenge we face, or change we move through.  It's not linear.  There's no manual or rule book.  And yes, it is our choice and it's a beautiful one to know and feel when we are ready and willing to move forward through whatever it is, and take empowered action.  One step at time.  Maybe slowly.  Or quickly.  We are all so different and all our experiences and circumstances are personal and unique. 

Let's not bypass though, the very essential stage and phase, of any time of change.  Acceptance.  A coming to terms perhaps with the ways things might be.  Maybe just right now.  But with this acceptance, is space of us to really articulate or be able to say to someone we trust in - this is hard, this is challenging for me.  And for us - for me- to say with compassioanate support to anyone through these times, to let all feelings and emotions be valid and real and expressed.  These words that are ever so important - "That must be hard for you" or "That must feel hard for you" or "Tell me how that feels for you" and "I would really like to know how this feels for you".  Because this acknowledgement is so powerful as part of trust, as part of healing, as part of someone feeling less alone, and more heard and understood, and feeling deeply encouraged to lean into acceptance and to then, with time, with willingness and with choice, to move forward.  Let's not bypass or miss this beautiful space of healing where our true emotions and feelings can be held and felt.  

Self improvement is a beautiful and empowering thing.  To seek to improve and help ourselves is necessary to create our lives in the way we truly desire to.  And yet, there's always a piece that's missing at times to me - this notion that we can just fix our mindsets or adjust our ways of thinking, just like that.  When so often, this shift to do so, comes from a feeling within our hearts.  This connection between heart and mind that then feels in union, to lean into even more, for beautiful choices to come, for us to lean forwards into more opportunity and possibility - because it's our whole selves choosing to, and being willing to, in this truly holistic way.  This takes time, it takes compassion, it asks us to gift ourselves with grace - because there is no timeframe or set line from A to B. 

Feel how you need to feel within it all, speak it all to someone you trust, let yourself express the truth of how things are for you.  And with this acknowledgement and rapport and trust, you will then know and feel empowered and liberated to move forward, and believe in freedom that exists.   It's been this way for me.  And I so desire this for you, to know and believe in this, too.  

If you are finding something challenging right now, or you're moving through a time of change in your life, or transition of some kind, I understand.  It can be murky waters to wade through initially, and I feel this so much.  Within my own life, and with so many others I've supported through change.  Working with clients one on one, in a quality and meangingful way, with my full presence, is my very favourite thing. To acknowledge the truth of how things feel and are for you, and to be with you, alongside and within the whole journey, and to support you to feel empowered and liberated and free.  

It's our birthright to live a glorious and beautiful life. But sometimes things don't quite go to plan, but then, nothing is certain.  I know this to be so deeply true within my own heart and life.  What I also know is that we all have the capability within ourselves, a deep belief, a power that's significant, a knowing within - that to find calm through change, brings contentment and joy and this is truly possible. Through some of the most challenging and hardest of things, and the most uncertain times of change.  Through our own phases and stages of life, just like the seasons of nature, when we can know how to deeply listen to ourselves, through the whole journey, we find a healing path that we trust to keep following.  And I believe all these phases and stages are part of that, and with compassionate support, can help us keep moving forward.  In our way, in our own time, at our own pace.    

I am here for you.  I know the power for one shift, one insight, and one conversation. And it's only reminds me always, why I love my one one work with clients. If you would like to compassionate support right now, and to make powerful changes in your heart and life, then I would love to share a conversation with you, and support you in all the ways I know.     

With love,
​x Katie 

Contact me through my contage page or read more about 'working together' here -
 ​https://www.katiejanewellness.com/working-together.html

I've shared a little YouTube clip on this too, to watch or listen to here - 
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