This morning I had a meeting with someone I consider to be brilliant in the world of ideas and marketing as well as an all around awesome authentic human being. He was encouraging me to write my Suzy Manifesto. What is it that I stand for? What do I want to create? What mark do I want to leave on this world?

As usual our conversation went down an interesting and inspiring path, we talked about business, ideas, creating, experience, and education etc… when he said “I haven’t done a lot”.

Those words hit me like a tidal wave full of beautiful understanding and from the depth of my soul I said, “I haven’t done a lot either, but I have felt so much”.

For me, a life lived deeply is rich with feeling and emotion. It isn’t the “stuff” or places I’ve gone or things I’ve done – it’s what I feel.

But what are we taught?
We are taught to put on a happy face, turn your frown upside down, smile in the mirror, shrug it off, turn the page, get busy, keep your nose to the grindstone, work hard, work hard, work hard.  Enough!

Don’t get me wrong. I have an amazing work ethic and a huge admiration for people willing to roll up their sleeves as opposed to sitting around and complaining. I believe at times you do need to put your nose to the grind stone and get it done. But I also believe we must come up for air. We must stop. We must breath. We must smell the roses.  If we don’t, we become numb.

From that perspective I can say “I have done a lot”.  I’ve done “numb” – it led to a suicide attempt. I’ve done “work hard” – it led to burn out. I’ve done “turn my frown upside down” – it led to being completely out of touch with what I was really feeling.

When I think about the mark I want to leave on the world, I realize what I love to do, is inspire thought that sparks change. This passion of mine has grown out of years of working with customers and recognizing how many health challenges all stem from one place – we have buried our emotions. But they are there. They are poking at us in the form of stress, anxiety, digestive issues, inflammation, weight gain, sleeplessness and the list goes on.

This I can say from experience – those emotions, the ones that we run from, the ones that hang over us like clouds. These are the emotions that provide the most monumental learning experiences. And these emotions are most certainly lined with silver.

Dig deep. Feel what you’re feeling. Acknowledge what you are feeling. Reach out to a coach, therapist or form a spotters group.  Whatever path you choose, take a moment every day to simply be and allow emotions to surface.

To be vibrantly alive, stop the doing and feel the feeling.

Breathing deeply,
~Suzy

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