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Author: Maria Connolly

What Autumn Reveals: Let Go When Something Has Completed Its Season

In nature, letting go is not the same as losing something. A fallen leaf doesn’t disappear. It breaks down and returns to the soil. Autumn doesn’t ask the trees to explain themselves before they let go. The leaves change color, loosen their grip, and fall. There’s no apology, no attempt to keep what once belonged to summer, no frantic effort to hold on just a little longer. What has completed its season is allowed to return to the earth.

However, we find it hard to let go because it feels like giving up. We’re driven to make things work, even when it’s difficult. We’re tenacious, resilient, and accustomed to finding a way forward, even when the path is demanding. 

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How Our Personal History Continues To Live Inside Us Today

How Our Personal History Continues To Live Inside Us Today“Maria, why do I do the things I do, even if I don’t want to?” It seems like inevitably all of my clients ask me this question at some point during our sessions. A lot of our work together is examining their personal history and identifying how it has formed their life patterns today. 

Because of this, I’m always on the lookout for ways of explaining how our origins have influenced us. So when I was reading Saba Hasanie's new book, The Blueprint to Leadership, and saw, "Patterns are history in motion" it stopped me, partly because of where I was sitting.

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Start Treating Your Inner Critic as a Messenger, Not an Enemy

 I invite you to become curious about what the inner critic is trying to tell you and develop a different relationship with the part of you that’s afraid of getting it wrong.
We’ve all heard that voice…the one that says, “You should have handled that better. Why did you say that? Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. What's wrong with you?” That inner critic can be especially convincing because it sounds a lot like the voice that helped you succeed. 

It pushes you to prepare more carefully, perform better, notice your mistakes, anticipate what could go wrong, and hold yourself to high standards. And that often works…so it can be difficult to recognize when the same voice that helps you stay safe or successful becomes a source of unnecessary pressure.

The answer isn't to silence your inner critic. Trying to fight, suppress, or outthink it can create another layer of internal struggle. Instead, I invite you to become curious about what the inner critic is trying to tell you and develop a different relationship with the part of you that’s afraid of getting it wrong.

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Rooted in Origins: How to Build Inner Authority on a Strong and Flexible Foundation

 when you’re rooted in origins, you know who you are and where you standYou can be highly accomplished and still not feel fully at home in your own authority. On the other hand, when you’re rooted in origins, you know who you are and where you stand. Let’s explore what this means and how it works in practical terms…

You know your work, have years of experience, and you’re the get-it-done person when something important needs to happen. And yet, when someone questions your decision, walks into the room with more power, or asks you to step into unfamiliar territory, you may notice yourself becoming more rigid, more careful, or more determined to prove yourself. There's a gap between knowing how to lead and staying connected to yourself while you do it.

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Read The Ground: Your Origin Story Reveals Your Leadership Tendencies

Learn to read the ground upon which you are building your life.No doubt you’ve heard or seen stories of how trackers studied the ground to follow a missing person who has passed through the area. Bent grass, impressions in the mud, broken twigs, dropped items, or pieces of torn clothing all reveal a story about the person being tracked. Similarly, you can become skilled at reading the ground upon which you are building your life.

How? By studying your origin story! You can use it as a diagnostic tool…to help us read the ground beneath your leadership style.

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Let's get started with 30 free minutes

I invite you to learn more about me and my coaching and counseling services. Please contact me to schedule an “It starts with you!” 30-minute complimentary consultation with me, in-person, by phone or via video consultation, so we can explore our partnership.

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