One of the things that I promised myself when my dad was dying was that I would build a life of meaning and balance.
⭐ I promised myself that I would get back to taking care of myself – which for me means walking more, meditating daily and keeping my stress at a reasonable level.
⭐ I promised myself that I would lean into the things that give me joy and would stay away from the “shoulds” that can dominate our days and are often the thief of joy.
⭐ And one of the biggest promise that I made myself when Dad was dying was that I would start living the career of my dreams (https://susanvanklink.com/the-great-resignation/).
I left my corporate executive role back in February of this year (2022) and started my own business with a mission to help people and companies grow and thrive.
Of course, as often happens, it wasn’t a straight line from the promise of living the career of my dreams to actually doing it. A few months into starting my new business, Dad fell and broke his hip and all of my promises to myself went out the window. The three months that followed his fall were all about Dad (his surgery, his attempt to recover, the final days of his end of life journey, his passing and the grief that has followed) and very little about me and my dreams.
On our very last night together (https://bit.ly/3CNCI8R), I made a promise to Dad that, with him moving on, I would get on with my life and that I would build a company that helps others define and achieve success. And that I would take what I’ve learned about what matters most in life and in work and share it with anyone who needs to hear it.
Yesterday I took advantage of a window in my day to walk to Dad’s bench (https://bit.ly/3DeYpjU) and reflect on the last few months and what they’ve taught me.
? I’ve learned that grief is not a straight line – that it’s a process and the only way through it is to lean into it and keep moving through it.
? I’ve learned that life is too short to spend your time doing things you really don’t want to do – in work and at home.
? I’ve learned that love is the antidote to grief – the love of friends, the love of family, the love of pets and the love of a partner, all help to soothe the loss of a loved one.
? And I’ve learned that joy and grief can exist simultaneously.
My thoughts are with all my fellow travelers in grief out there. I hope you are moving through your grief and finding joy in unexpected places.