Month: December 2012

Happy Holidays 2012!

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and all the love and joy I can send your way over the holidays. Thanks for being here, for building such an amazing community, and for teaching me so many things over the past year. I’ve learned so much from each of you who write in, comment, and tell me stories about how you’re changing and growing throughout your lives and explorations. I feel so lucky to be able to write (and that people listen!) and that I’ve spent a year doing this thing on the side that I love doing–telling stories and being here. It’s wonderful.

It’s been an incredible year, both at my job and in editing several of the websites and projects I’m involved in, and I’m so grateful to have another internet home here on this site, to tell the stories of how I do it and what I’m learning along the way. I love writing, thinking things through, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of what I’m working on and how I think–and this year, I’ve been lucky to work with a few of you one-on-one both in calls and in the month-long Start Something Program. I’m blown away by the incredible people I get to meet and interact with.

You, seriously, are the best. I hope you all know how wonderful you are. I want to highlight some of the amazing people I’ve gotten to work with, as a quick nod to all of you and your talented ways:

  • Krista, who explores the everyday human experiences and  “response crafting” (I love this term!) … who doubles down as an IT Consultant by day and philosopher-doer by night;
  • Jennifer, whose backstory is so touching and who has such grace and confidence; she’s building a platform and website called “The Health Sessions,” looking at how to achieve your dreams while dealing with chronic illness (check out her Facebook page, and watch for her new website coming soon);
  • Lauren, who works in social media in New Orleans and blogs about travel, work and love at Mermaid Chronicles. (And my personal favorite: her story of landing a job via a story of carrying a surfboard through the subways of New York. Yes!)
  • Lisa, an all-around “Advocate for Awesome,” who is a Higher-Ed power-punch and triple threat through her talents in speaking, writing, and intrapreneurial mindset–and a contagious zest for growth and learning.
  • And so many more. There are some goodies still being crafted behind-the-scenes, and I can’t wait to see (and support) so many of you. Continue reading “Happy Holidays 2012!”

NAME IT: The Handy Cheat-Sheet For How to Deal with Feelings.

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

Feelings, emotions, troubles and woes: no one is immune, despite the shiny glory of the internet and our addictions to various social-media outlets. I have a handy trick that I’ve used with a lot of success over the past couple of years each time I get overwhelmed, scared, afraid, worried, or wondering what to do a midst all the befuddlement:

Name it.

The best thing you can do with your feelings is to name them. Acknowledge them. Point to them, and talk about what they really are and where they came from.

“since feeling is first” – e. e. cummings.

The range of human emotions is incredible: each emotion a short clue into your relationship with your environment and the world around you. Spend time considering what each feeling is and what it’s proper name is.

Are you feeling overjoyed, happy, excited, enthusiastic, rushed, terrified, afraid, lonely, scared, sad, depressed, frantic, cold, weak, weary, wonderful, in awe, in love, in lust? How about frightened, joyful, thankful, grateful, gleeful, brave, energized, unbelieving or disillusioned?

What is the feeling that you’re having, and what’s causing it?

I use this template to death, often walking on a brisk and quick walk, dumping out the plethora of feelings onto my mental notepad, exploring the reason behind each one. This is the template I used for weeks after a terrible break-up, the one I used when I was too tired to think straight after my website launch, and even the template I used this week after catching a nasty cold and traveling for nearly every single day this month. (I feel TIRED, yo, because I’ve been TRAVELING.)

What are you feeling? 

Name it. 

Everybody Has Something

Posted on by Sarah K Peck

I’ve lived long enough–and talked to enough people–to know that everyone has something. Behind the exterior, behind the face, behind the brilliance or seeming-perfection, there are stories. People have lived through loss, hardship, trauma, and fear; they have scars that are visible and invisible; and despite all evidence to the contrary, most–if not all–people are dealing with things far beyond what they’re telling you.

If you don’t know the trials and difficulties, you just might know them well enough yet.

I certainly know the days when I’m having a hard, difficult week, and yet the shiny internet surface–or even my in-person face–doesn’t show the rougher edges. People don’t know all that’s going on.

It helps to remember a key phrase–I believe I heard it first from Jenny Blake, but I’ve heard it elsewhere too:

“Don’t compare your insides to everybody else’s outsides.” 

Everyone’s got a whole lot of work on the inside, and more stories than you can tell. Don’t assume that what looks perfect is always so easy.

And if you’re having a bad day, or a hard time: keep going. I believe in you. I’ve spoken to enough of you these past several months to know how incredible you all are. All of it. The good and the bad and all the bits in between.

With love,