The Path. ~ Amanda Fleming Taylor
About eight months ago, I sat down with my coach and soul sister, Jenn, to discuss what direction to point my life’s compass in.
The standard, “If you had all the money you could ever want or need, and could do anything you wanted, what would you do?”
I knew I wanted to travel the world with my girls, pursue my Mommy Adventurer blog—do brave things that scared me to get me out of my comfort zone and help reset my what’s possible button...but I needed something else too.
I needed to be of service.
I prayed to be of service.
I told Jenn that I guess I needed to go back to grad school and rewrite the protocols for how we treat grief and fear—pretty ambitious, I know.
I told her I wanted to create a model for grieving that gave people hope and practical tools that could make a difference in their lives immediately. I knew from my neuro-psych background (and personal experience) that being successful at things you thought were impossible changes your brain chemistry. That’s one reason I started my “Brave List” that at first was kind of an Amanda-ism joke, but then became completely real.
My “Brave List” was how I worked through my grief and dug (and am still digging) my way out after my husband's death.
I knew that yoga was part of the puzzle—it has saved me in so many ways, got me back in my body when I wanted to be anywhere but, helped me work through stuck emotions that I didn’t want to face, made me physically strong—and I knew I wanted to share that with others.
More importantly, I wanted to create something that treated suffering and grief—pain—as part of what it means to be human—something we share and participate in with the rest of humanity, even though it’s that part that we most often try to hide.
To tap into the immense power that is unleashed when you choose to hold up these darker, lesser feelings to the light to be transmuted.
So, as is often the case in my world, weird (synchronous) things started to happen.
I had three people from completely different areas of my life refer me to Elizabeth, Mandy, Cindy and The Respite Centre. When I finally contacted them and found The Model for Heart-Centered Grief, I was overwhelmed with the strangest feeling of familiarity.
It was like the model was out there looking for me.
So it turns out I don’t have to go back to grad school after all because what I was inspired to create already exists.
Last month, I became the National Sales Director for the Respite Centre and the The Model of Heart Centered Grief. It’s my goal to get the model into the hands of everyone who needs it (all of us) because it is of so much benefit.
I am kind of in love with the Model for Heart-Centered Grief. Because the model illuminates a path, shows a way, to transform grief and pain into the powerful energy that changes us from victim into hero of our own story.
I plan on continuing to check things off of my “Brave List,” and helping others write their own.
I believe in the transformative power of change through adventure. Change through pushing past your fears. In fact, Jenn and I are developing and launching getaways for women that do just that—our first one is in Moab in October (you are all invited).
I’m going to continue to write—my blog, my books, and for elephant journal—continue to try to be of service, to do stuff that challenges and makes me grow wings quickly after I jump out of the nest before I am ready.
Continue to walk down this path that both enchants and scares the crap out of me.
Let’s just see what happens.