The End, and The Beginning

Hello, hello. Welcome to my final newsletter and first blog post on my new site. I hope you have been doing OK.

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So much has been going on on my side. Several things happened which encouraged me to take time to reflect, and it wasn’t a moment too soon. I started to write down key life moments that have happened since 2019, and when I looked back, it was clear that I was ignoring the impact of these events. A pile-on of experiences was making me operate in fight or flight mode. Throw in some of my negative thought patterns and health issues with family and friends, and you get the perfect storm. Things needed to change. I had to change.

And that’s what I am doing. I am re-learning how I view myself, what I expect from others and what I want from life. I’m doing what I help my clients do, but doing it myself for a change.

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I’m applying these changes to both my personal and professional life. I sadly realised that some elements of my work needed to change. The EDI part of my work had to go. 

Persuading clients to put time and effort into EDI, well, it wasn’t working. Trying to explain to people about racism and privilege, I began to feel like I was justifying my existence and the existence of family and friends. My lived experience kept feeding into the everyday. Now that wasn’t healthy for me. 

I hope we all know we should be doing more towards creating an equitable society, but the energy it takes to persuade people is huge. Trying to ignite passion and drive for people to challenge racist conversations, reflect and confront their own biases, and commit to continual learning about living in a structurally racist society was exhausting. Some incredible educators can do it (and I’m always happy to recommend these brilliant people), but I cannot.

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So I have decided to close that area of my business, but I don’t see it as a failure as it taught me so much. The EDI door has closed, but the Coaching door is wide open. Coaching really lights me up, and I am good at it. I never stop learning, and I can see myself Coaching for many years to come…unless I win the Euro Millions, then maybe I might rethink.

And the newsletters will stop. I don’t think I have sent a newsletter for months anyway, but moving forward, I will only write when the energy and passion are there, and what I write I will publish on my website.

So this is what’s been happening and where I am now. Thank you for your support in getting me to this point.  I’m grateful, excited and nervous about the future, but I feel more myself than I have for a long time. 

I’ll still be popping up on Instagram and LinkedIn, but if you want to chat, email me at jayne@the-alternative.co.uk

jx