Publisher Insights: Tips to Restore Living With Purpose
The healing process can include unraveling like peeling back the layers of an onion. Each layer allows us to dig deeper into the things that matter. Photo of Tracy Stroderd.
If I had to describe 2023 in one word, it would be “restorative.” For quite some time, I had accepted my life for what it was versus leading my life with intention and purpose.
Internal decisions that I made weren’t necessarily in my best interest; 2023 has been a long and emotional year, full of change that has led to a reordering of priorities and letting go of expectations.
Oprah says, “You can only heal the world when you are healed yourself.” My life has been an unraveling and healing process — like peeling back the layers of an onion. Each layer allows us to dig deeper into the things that matter. The things that have the power to transform us if we’re willing to do the work and be honest with ourselves. There is purpose in the pain we go through, and fulfillment comes from having a clear sense of purpose. It comes from contributing to something larger than ourselves.
These four things helped me survive in 2023:
- The only time we suffer is when we focus on ourselves in the frame of what we are not getting, not experiencing, or not receiving in our life.
- Failure is there to point us in a different direction. It’s just an experience. It doesn’t define us.
- We must take charge of our own lives. We become what we believe.
- Triggers come in all forms. We must pay attention and be willing to see that everything, good or bad, is working in our favor and guiding us toward a greater purpose.
Being aware of how the dots are all connected isn’t an easy task in this fast-paced world that we live in. In fact, it is that pace that keeps us blinded and numb to what is happening around us.
As this year ends, I encourage you to slow down and be present in your own life. Feel the feelings, peel back the layers, live your life from a place of truth and know you will survive everything.
What if you used your life to be a light in someone else’s? Imagine shifting your focus to others and what that might feel like as compared to suffering because you’re focused on what isn’t happening in your life. I’m not suggesting that you become a people pleaser because that’s not healthy.
This is a process in which you self-evaluate a situation, your thoughts, or experiences, own your part, make a shift, and let go of the self-imposed expectations that you think others may have concerning whatever it is you’re processing. In some situations, it is best to work with a therapist or counselor until you develop the skills necessary to do it solo.
Connect
Tracy@everythingbrevard.com
Facebook: /tracy.stroderd
Instagram: @tracystroderd
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tracy-stroderd-1aa36437/
Meet Our Publisher/CEO
Tracy Stroderd embodies the ultimate success story as an entrepreneur who brings consumers and businesses together. She is a speaker, business strategist and consultant who uses her unique combination of real-world entrepreneurial experience and formal business education to champion small-business success. Her love for working with entrepreneurs and making an impact in her community stems from growing up in a small town where she was born into the world of entrepreneurship.
Tracy earned a master of arts in administration from Barry University, where she has taught services marketing. She is a trained facilitator and mentor for the IGNITE 360 Mentoring Program at weVENTURE Women’s Business Center powered by Florida Institute of Technology. She has taught in the entrepreneurship program at Eastern Florida State College. Tracy has served on the executive committee/board of directors at the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. She has served on this board since 2017 and was the chairwoman from 2018-2020.
In 2022, Tracy launched a Toastmasters International Club at the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce and was recognized with a Club President Award in recognition of dedicated service and outstanding leadership.
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