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We often think of well-being as something that happens to us. We wait for something to happen such as our workplace getting better, when our schedule clears, or when leadership finally prioritizes mental health. I used to believe it too. But over time, I have learned something that changed everything: No one is coming to save your internal world. And that is not meant to be discouraging. It is meant to be empowering. Because the truth is that you already hold the key to your well-being.  It is so easy to get stuck in the cycle of waiting: "I'll prioritize myself when my schedule calms down." "I'll feel better when I get support." "I'll take care of me... once everyone else is okay." Hello! Life rarely slows down when we are waiting for it to and that perfect moment never quite shows up. In the meantime, we stay exhausted. Disconnected. Unfulfilled. The Shift: From External to Internal Self-care has become a buzz word. Taking a mental health day, going to a yoga class, working with a supportive team are all external ways of taking care of yourself and those things can help. However, they aren't the root of true well-being. Real well-being starts with a decision. A choice to listen to what is happening inside. To slow down. To feel. To reflect. To take the smallest step toward ourselves. That is the work no one else can do for you. That is the spark of change.  A Small Step Can Be a Big Beginning
The beauty is that this does not need to be overwhelming. It might be one deep breath before a team meeting, a "no" that protects your energy, a quiet walk without your phone, or five minutes of journaling to check in with your thoughts. These moments matter. They remind us that we are in charge of our own inner world. Supportive environments are important. Workplaces can absolutely help create the conditions for well-being. But the commitment? That starts with you. You don't need a permission slip to begin. You already hold the key. What is one small way you are choosing yourself this week? Need support getting started on true well-being? Reach out, I am here!
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 As I have shared before, I have been on a well-being journey for the past ten years. And it's impact on me at this point is worth sharing! Through lived experience, I have built self-awareness, deepened my emotion regulation, and discovered that true well-being isn't something you do - it's something you sustain. That deeper curiosity has changed everything. Awareness Is the First Step, Is it Enough? Many of us start our well-being journeys by adopting habits we know are "good for us." Meditation, exercise, journaling, deep breathing (we have all heard the benefits). Here's are a few things that I have been exploring: → If well-being only exists on a to-do list, it is easy to abandon when life gets chaotic. → If it is something we practice only when we have time, it is not truly supporting us. → If we don't take the time to understand what well-being feels like in our bodies, it is hard to sustain. This was my experience. I knew the right things to do, but for the first part of my journey, I hadn't made the connection between awareness and sustainability. Because of that, my well-being practices were inconsistent and reactive, rather than integrated and intentional.  Sustainability Is the Transformation The real shift happened when I started asking myself: ❓ What does well-being feel like in my body and mind? ❓ How does it change the way I move through the world? ❓ Am I approaching well-being as something I do or something I live? When well-being is sustainable, it is no longer about fitting in practices when life is calm - it is about integrating them so they support you through the chaos. It becomes the foundation for how you lead, perform, and navigate uncertainty.  Quality time with my daughters What Changes When Well-Being Becomes Sustainable? 🌱 You don't abandon it when life gets busy - you integrate it into your daily life. 🌱 It's no longer just about habits - it is about embodiment and emotional resilience. 🌱 You move through challenges with more ease, clarity, and balance. Sustaining well-being is about more than self-care. It is about self-awareness. It is about understanding what nourishes and drains you and how to build emotional agility to stay grounded no matter what life throws your way. How have you sustained your well-being or are you just touching the surface? Let's connect and have a conversation.
Ten years ago, if you had asked me what well-being meant, I wouldn't have had a clear answer. It wasn't something I consciously thought about, let alone prioritized. Like many, I was moving through life on autopilot - pushing forward, staying in control, and measuring success by external achievements rather than internal alignment. But something shifted. I started to realize that despite doing everything I thought I was "supposed" to do, I felt disconnected, drained, and unfulfilled. The more I ignored my inner world, the more it became clear that something needed to change. And that is when I took my first real step toward self-awareness.  Mindfulness Certification Retreat 2018 Understanding What Well-Being Means to Me For the first time, I slowed down. I stopped running on the treadmill of expectations and started asking myself deeper questions: What do I actually need to feel balanced? What does success feel like - not just look like? As I explored these questions, I began to uncover the patterns, beliefs, and emotions that were shaping my life without me even realizing it. I learned that well-being wasn't just about working out - it was about understanding myself on a deeper level and aligning my actions with what truly mattered to me.  The Profound Shifts That Came With This Awareness Once I started prioritizing my well-being, everything began to change: ➡️ Self-awareness gave me clarity. I started recognizing the habits and mindsets that were keeping me stuck and learned how to shift them. ➡️ Emotion regulation gave me freedom. Instead of reacting to stress, fear, or uncertainty, I learned how to process my emotions and respond with intention. ➡️ Letting go of control opened new possibilities. Embracing uncertainty allowed me to move forward with more trust, curiosity, and resilience. I didn't just feel different - I was different. More balanced. More grounded. More alive.  Bali Retreat 2019 Why I Share This Journey So, why do I share all of this? Because living this experience showed me firsthand the profound impact of prioritizing well-being. It empowered me to recognize that I have the ability to help others do the same - guiding them to create sustainable change in their own lives. This realization led me to my work today, where I support individuals in slowing down, deepening their self-awareness, and understanding themselves on a level that allows them to step into even greater success. True well-being isn't about checking off boxes. It is about learning to be present, to trust yourself, and to navigate life with a sense of openness. When we learn to lead ourselves first, everything else follows. What Does Well-Being Mean to You? I would love to hear your reflections. Have you ever had a moment where you realized well-being wasn't in your consciousness? How has your understanding of self-awareness evolved over time? Let's start the conversation.  Ready to Bring Well-Being to Life?
If you are looking for support in integrating well-being into your life and leadership, let's connect. Whether you are navigating personal growth or fostering well-being within your team, I would love to help you create meaningful shifts. Reach out to explore how we can work together!  A couple of weeks ago, I spoke at a women's club about self-awareness and the power of reflection. As I looked around the room, I noticed something interesting - many of us know when something isn't quite right in our lives, but we rarely take the time to pause, reflect, and do something about it. Instead we operate in management mode, constantly tending to the needs of others: our families, our jobs, our responsibilities - without checking in with ourselves. We convince ourselves that reflection isn't something we have time for, when in reality, it is the key to understanding what we truly need and moving toward it with intention. Passive Awareness vs. Action-Oriented AwarenessThere is a difference between simply recognizing something in our lives and actively doing something about it. 👉🏼 Passive Awareness is when we know something but don't act on it. Maybe you realize you constantly overcommit, but you keep doing it anyway. Maybe you have always loved writing but you tell yourself you are too busy to start. Maybe you feel burned out but never take a moment to ask yourself what needs to change. 👉🏼 Action-Oriented Awareness is when you take small, intentional steps based on what you have noticed. It is when you go from saying "I know I need to make a change" to actually making the change. I experienced this shift firsthand. I have always loved creating, but for a long time, I was passively aware of it. I knew it fueled me, yet I wasn't making space for it in my life. Through my own reflection, I realized I was waiting for the right moment (the perfect plan). I didn't need that I just needed to start small. I created a free guide to help others recognize their worth, and that single action led to four other digital well-being offerings - with more on the way! The lesson? You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to begin.  The Importance of ReflectionIn today's fast-paced world, we are encouraged to act but not necessarily to pause and reflect. The problem? When we don't reflect, we end up running on autopilot, making decisions based on urgency rather than alignment. Science backs up the power of reflection in deepening self-awareness. Research shows that intentional self-reflection improves: ✅ Emotional regulation - Helping us respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. ✅ Decision-making - Allowing us to make choices with clarity instead of defaulting to habits. ✅ Personal growth - Helping us identify patterns, understand our behaviors, and shift in meaningful ways. Reflection gives us the power of choice - the ability to take control of our own lives rather than managing everything and everyone else. Reflection Questions to Get You StartedIf you are ready to move from passive awareness to action-oriented awareness, here are a few reflection prompts to consider: 🔹 What is something I know I need but have been avoiding? 🔹 Where in my life am I managing others' needs instead of prioritizing my own? 🔹 What is one small step I can take toward something that excites me? Take five minutes today to sit with these question. You might be surprised by what comes up.  Take the Next Steps in Your Self-Awareness JourneyTo support you in deepening your reflection and self-awareness, I have created two guides:
📝 Free Guide for Self-Awareness & Reflection - A simple tool to spark reflection and build self-awareness. 📖 5-Part Self-Awareness & Reflection Guide - A deeper dive to help you build intentional self-awareness and take action. We all have to start somewhere. The most important thing? Take the first step. What is one thing you have been passively aware of that you are ready to take action on? I would love to hear - drop a comment below! |
Kristin Pittman"Quit hanging on to the handrails...Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day." Archives
April 2025
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