The Autumn Equinox was a couple of weeks ago.
I missed my usual seasonal post because I was at the hospital in Dublin with my dear brother Anthony as he spent his last days on earth – then immersed in the flurry of organising his funeral and celebration of life, which took place on Wednesday.
The autumn equinox is a time of harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of our labours. I’m in the autumn season of my life – I’ve no idea if I’ll live till 96 like my mum or 65 like my brother. Life is short and none of us know how long we’ve got on this earth.
My brother didn’t live long enough to fully enjoy the harvest of his life. I’m sad that his lifespan was cut short by illness and he didn’t have a retirement. Yet it’s been a huge comfort to gather in our memories of him and hear from his friends and colleagues the positive impact he had on their lives.
As I pick up the threads of my own life, this experience reinforces for me that our work with women leaders at Purpose Power Presence in our Athena Leadership Intensive is what I came here to do. The joy I get from seeing women blossom to their full potential, embrace their own brilliance and act on it is part of the harvest of my life.
We spend a good chunk of the retreat helping participants work out their “Ikegai” or purpose, including a deep dive into:
- What do you love to do?
- What are you brilliant at?
- What are your values?
- What does the world need right now?
This results in a personally crafted purpose statement you can use as a North Star to help you navigate what to say “No” to and when to say a resounding “Yes!”.
Taking two days out for yourself might seem like an extravagance, but – compared to the time you will save through having a clear focus – it’s time well spent, enabling to use your “one wild and precious life” for what really matters.
If this speaks to you then join us at our next Athena Leadership Intensive.