Discover the Journey Back to Yourself

 

August 10, 2026 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as refillable instead of half-full or half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered!

Discover the Journey Back to Yourself Dear Empowered Reader, I read about a woman named Stella Photi this week; I related to many parts of her story, and I think you will too. She spent years building a high-flying career before burnout caught up with her, not gradually, but the kind that stops you cold. Instead of pushing through it and calling that resilience, she built something out of it. She founded Wellbeing Escapes, a wellness travel company designed around exactly what she'd needed and hadn't had. She's watched the same pattern play out in her clients ever since. In a survey her company ran, more than half named burnout as the reason they booked a trip in the first place. She calls it a modern-day epidemic, the cost of normalizing chronic stress until the body finally forces the issue. She's not alone in that. Wellness tourism is heading toward a $1.4 trillion industry by 2029. Over half the people in Hilton's 2026 Trends Report said "rest and recharge" is now their number one reason to travel. A third are traveling specifically for their mental health. And two-thirds of Gen Z and millennial travelers told KAYAK that relaxation and a mental reset beat sightseeing and bucket lists, hands down. I think we're finally catching up to what our nervous systems have been telling us all along: rest isn't the reward you get after the work is done. Rest is the work. She's not alone in that.  A personal story from my travels relates to this: it was a hike up to an old fire lookout on the North Cascades Loop this July. It was a tough, long hike, full of switchbacks, with an elevation gain of 4500 ft.  Once I got to the top. I sat down. I didn't journal. I didn't plan anything. I just watched the ridgeline for several minutes, soaking in the view and catching my breath. That's the part many of us skip, isn't it?  We're great at pushing through the climb. We're terrible at sitting at the summit and actually letting it land. William Bridges called this in-between space the "neutral zone"; you've let go of the old thing, but you haven't quite landed in the new one yet. Most of us try to sprint through it. But the neutral zone isn't dead time. It's where the real reorientation happens, if you let it. Wellness travel, at its best, is a deliberate trip into that neutral zone. You're not there to perform. You're there to notice. The fire tower. Lookout Mountain. Washington State. This part matters to me; the rest is the work, because I know some of you are wondering if this is all just a nice thing to say. It isn't just something I say; it is something supported by research.  A 2022 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that even small doses of green space- one tree, a pocket park, your own garden bed- measurably lower stress. You don't need a mountain range for this. Ten unhurried minutes will do plenty. Research from Japan found that time spent in forests lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, and the benefits show up even when people are just looking at natural scenes, not hiking through them. And a 2026 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that green space affects brain regions involved in emotion regulation, easing both stress and depressive symptoms.  So no,  the people at that wellness resort weren't imagining the shift after a beach walk or a quiet afternoon outside. Their nervous systems were doing exactly what the research says they'd do. The detail that stuck with me longest, though. It wasn't about kale or step counts. It was Enzo Caiazzo, who first showed up trying to lose weight back in 2015 and has returned every year since, not for the program, but for the people. "It's a community," he said. "You are on the same path, searching for something." That's the piece a lot of change frameworks miss. We talk endlessly about individual resilience. We talk a lot less about how much easier transitions get and how much better they stick when you're not going through it alone. View from the fire tower. This shows up in my own work too. I don't think anyone can do the practice below well alone, squeezed into the margins of an already-full week. It takes space. It takes distance from the noise that makes doubt so loud in the first place. That's exactly the space I'm building into the Wisdom of Winter Retreat, February 25–28, 2027, at True North Resort in Nisswa, Minnesota, with Rachel Gilbertson of Art of Presence and Taylor Tix and Cris Bickman Otte of Taylor & Co. It's a women's retreat built on the same thing Maren stumbled into: sometimes the most important move you can make is to stop and let yourself hear what you already know. Three nights lakeside.  No packed agenda, no rigid resolutions. Sauna and hot tub time built in on purpose,  not squeezed in around everything else. And at the center of it, I'll be guiding the Mountain 10 experience,  a walk through four areas of human change: awareness, letting go, vision, and realization. It's really the seasonal practice below, stretched out over several days instead of four minutes.  You'll have room to actually find your last real marker, to untangle doubt from direction with people who won't rush you past either one, and to say out loud, not just write down, the tower you're still climbing toward.  It's the same framework I use with executive teams navigating organizational change. Just adapted for the quieter transitions we're all carrying too. There's wisdom in winter.  The season isn't asking you to produce. It's asking you to rest, so the next one has something to grow from. View from the fire tower while resting. Affirmation "I am allowed to rest before I'm finished. Rest is not the interruption of my growth; it is the ground it grows from." A Seasonal Practice Name the last real marker. When did you last get clear confirmation you were headed the right way a result, a yes, a moment where things clicked? Write it down. It's closer than the doubt makes it feel. Separate the doubt from the direction. Ask yourself: is this "am I even on the right path" feeling about the path, or is it just discomfort about not being able to see yet? They get tangled together. They're not the same question. Look for the grade, not the view. You might not get the clearing this week. But is the ground still rising? Is there still forward motion, even without proof? Rising terrain, even with no view, is still information. Keep the destination named, even unseen. Write one sentence describing the tower you're climbing toward, the outcome you can't see yet but are still moving toward. Keep it somewhere you'll actually see it. It doesn't have to be certain to be worth naming. Reflection Questions When was the last time you rested before you were depleted, instead of after? Where are you right now in Bridges' "neutral zone", no longer who you were, not yet who you're becoming?  What would it look like to stop rushing through it? Who's on your same path right now, "searching for something," that you could reach out to instead of doing this stretch alone? Until next time, take care, dear reader, Julie Sources: https://www.wellbeingescapes.com/about-us,  Global Wellness Institute / PhocusWright & Web in Travel wellness tourism projections;  Hilton 2026 Trends Report;  KAYAK 2026 Travel Trends;  Gu, Liu & Lu, "Can Even a Small Amount of Greenery Be Helpful in Reducing Stress? A Systematic Review," International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022; Anxiety and Depression  Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Click here to get your own subscription. Wild Geese by Mary Oliver You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile, the world goes on..... Read the rest at https://www.poetry.com/poem/123017/wild-geese

In the Media Where can you find EMPOWER Possible? In addition to posting on my own social media, I collaborate with other entrepreneurs.  Thank you to The CEO Mindset for hosting me on your podcast.  By pressing play on this episode, you'll discover: How to change your life with systems, goals, and design a personal blueprint.    Are you ready to change your life? I am not sure if I know anyone who isn’t in some form or fashion.   In this episode of the podcast, we talk about the relationship between systems, goals, and my personal blueprint.Click here to listen. Interested in catching up on our previous podcast episodes? I invite you to explore our library of past recordings, where we delve into a diverse range of topics related to happiness and well-being. https://empowerpossible.com/podcasts/&nbsp Upcoming Events Leading Change When Nobody is Looking When: September 17, 2026  Where: St. Paul, MN What: Panelists will share real stories about leading through uncertainty, influencing without formal authority, working with limited resources, and helping people move forward when conditions are far from perfect. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for building momentum before buy-in exists, creating progress amid constraints, and sustaining change when the path forward is still taking shape. Discover more by clicking here. Luminary Conference Presentation When: September 25, 2026 Where: Rochester, MN  What: I am thrilled to be taking the stage at the upcoming Luminary Conference! I will be sharing actionable frameworks on sustainable leadership, thriving through large-scale organizational transitions, and shifting workplace cultures from a state of survival and overwhelm into a space of abundance and clarity. To learn more, click here. Wisdom of Winter Retreat When: February 25 to 28 2027 Where: True North Resort, Nisswa, MN What: In partnership with Art of Presence and Taylor and Co., Empower Possible is hosting a winter retreat. Surrounded by peaceful lake views, snow-covered forests, and the quiet beauty of winter, this retreat is designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and restore. Come as you are. Leave feeling rested, grounded, and renewed. Learn more: https://taylorandcoapothecary.com/2027-nisswa-retreat/  Mountain 10 Workshops What is Mountain 10?  During this three-hour workshop, we will focus on accessing your inner wisdom to bring about the changes you deeply desire in your life. We will use the Mountain 10 process, a proven, new technology for deep reflection on human change. It is based on the conviction that every person has the most important answers about direction, purpose, and calling within them. For a Mountain 10 experience, join the Wisdom of Winter Retreat. Can't make it to the Wisdom of Winter Retreat? Join the waitlist. Click HERE Please reach out if you have any questions: info@empowerpossible.com

Connect with me on social media! Copyright © EMPOWER Possible  Northfield, United States EMPOWER Possible is dedicated to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities to organize and act together to regenerate our world through Self, Social, and Systems transformation.  info@empowerpossible.com \ Website \ Mission You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in my work—thank you! You can change your email preferences or unsubscribe at any time.  Disclaimer: This newsletter contains content that has been modified and inspired by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. While we use ChatGPT to enhance our content, it should not be considered professional advice. For specific concerns or decisions, please consult with a qualified professional or trusted source. The newsletter authors are not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided by or inspired by ChatGPT.

We Can't Do This Alone

July 27, 2026 Regenerate Your World  Build the future you want to live in. I know these times aren't the easiest for all of us, but I am an optimist - I see the glass as refillable instead of half-full or half-empty. To brighten up your days, I publish the Regenerate Your World newsletter coming to your inbox on a bi-weekly basis. Let's Get Empowered! We Can't Do This Alone The retreat that came out of building something with others, not alone. Dear Empowered Reader, I've built my whole framework around three levels of change: Self, Social, Systems. I write about it. I teach it. I put it on slides. And then this spring, I once again was living it. For the past several months, I've been sitting around tables, real ones, virtual ones, sometimes just emails back and forth with three women I now call my co-conspirators. Rachel Gilbertson of Art of Presence. Taylor Tix and Cris Bickman Otte of Taylor & Co. Together we've been building the Wisdom of Winter retreat, happening February 25–28, 2027, at True North Resort in Nisswa, Minnesota. Here's what nobody tells you about building something meaningful with other people: it is not tidy. We've dived into tough conversations about budgets. We've each brought our own definition of "enough" to the table and had to find where those definitions overlap. We've shown up to calls tired, unsure, second-guessing our own ideas out loud in front of each other. That's the Social work. That's the part of the E.M.P.O.W.E.R. model I haven’t talked about in a while because it's the part that asks the most of me personally. I could have designed a retreat by myself. I've done that before. It's efficient. It's controllable. It's also lonely, and it caps out at whatever one person's imagination can hold. Instead, Rachel, Taylor, Cris and I found each other through a series of inspired actions (shout out to Rachel for teaching me the phrase!). And what we're creating together is bigger and truer than anything I would have built alone. Rachel Gilbertson, Art of Presence — Rachel has spent nearly two decades helping people trust their own intuition instead of outsourcing their answers to everyone else. She's a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach and a mindfulness facilitator, and she'll be co-facilitating the Mountain 10 process with me during the retreat, helping guests access their own inner wisdom rather than handing them someone else's script. Taylor Tix and Cris Bickman Otte, Taylor & Co — Taylor is a registered nurse and Reiki Master who turned profound personal loss into a wellness practice built on coming home to yourself. Her mother and business partner, Cris, brings 30-plus years in patient care and movement instruction, and will be guiding yoga and Centergy sessions throughout the weekend.  Together we hold the Systems piece, the logistics, the lodging, the meals, the structure. None of us are doing our own solo version of this retreat. We're doing one retreat, together, and it's better for it. That's the whole point of Social change, isn't it? It was never meant to be a nice-to-have. It's the thing that keeps Self-work from turning into isolation, and keeps Systems-work from turning into a machine nobody actually wants to be part of. Curious about the retreat? Here is more information Wisdom of Winter Retreat When: February 25–28, 2027  Where: True North Resort, Nisswa, Minnesota What: A restorative winter retreat for women, built in partnership with Rachel Gilbertson of Art of Presence and Taylor Tix & Cris Bickman Otte of Taylor & Co. Three nights of lakeside lodging, sauna and hot tub access, nourishing meals, daily guided practices, and the Mountain 10 process to help you access your own inner wisdom before you step into your next season. No packed itinerary. No rigid resolutions. Just space to slow down, reconnect, and be held by people who've done their own work to hold you. Learn more and reserve your spot → AFFIRMATION "I do not have to build alone. Asking for support is not a failure of capability; it is an act of wisdom. I trust the people I've invited into this work, and I trust myself enough to be seen by them, budgets, doubts, and all." True North Resort. Where we are hosting the retreat. PRACTICES FOR THIS SEASON Name your table. Who are the people you're building something with right now, even informally? Have you actually named them as collaborators, or are you still quietly carrying the load solo? Say the uncomfortable number out loud. Pick one conversation you've been avoiding because it involves money, capacity, or a boundary. This week, say the actual number or the actual limit, instead of the softened version. Thank a co-conspirator. Send one message this week to someone who's building alongside you. Not a task update — an actual thank-you for being in it with you. REFLECTION QUESTIONS For your journal, your walk, your quiet morning Where in your life are you doing Systems or Self work but skipping the Social layer entirely? Who would you invite to the table if you let go of needing to have it all figured out first? What would it feel like to let someone see the messy, unfinished, budget-arguing version of your work not just the polished version? More in two weeks. Take care, dear reader, Julie Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Click here to get your own subscription. All My Relations by Dr. Gary Boelhower Let us step quietly over boundaries we have created to divide us the imaginary borders on our maps lot lines plat lines zoning codes. Let us choose to forget the long litany of exclusion nations states colors genders tribes species........ Read the rest at https://www.orchpress.com/index.php/en/new-publications2-2/133-step-close-in-by-gary-boelhower Upcoming Events Luminary Conference Presentation When: September 2026 What: I am thrilled to be taking the stage at the upcoming Luminary Conference! I will be sharing actionable frameworks on sustainable leadership, thriving through large-scale organizational transitions, and shifting workplace cultures from a state of survival and overwhelm into a space of abundance and clarity. To learn more, click here. Wisdom of Winter Retreat When: February 25 to 28 2027 Where: True North Resort, Nisswa, MN What: In partnership with Art of Presence and Taylor and Co., Empower Possible is hosting a winter retreat. Surrounded by peaceful lake views, snow-covered forests, and the quiet beauty of winter, this retreat is designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and restore. Come as you are. Leave feeling rested, grounded, and renewed. Learn more: https://taylorandcoapothecary.com/2027-nisswa-retreat/  Mountain 10 Workshops What is Mountain 10?  During this three-hour workshop, we will focus on accessing your inner wisdom to bring about the changes you deeply desire in your life. We will use the Mountain 10 process, a proven, new technology for deep reflection on human change. It is based on the conviction that every person has the most important answers about direction, purpose, and calling within them. For a Mountain 10 experience join the Wisdom of Winter Retreat. Can't make it to the Wisdom of Winter retreat? Join the waitlist. Click HERE Please reach out if you have any questions: info@empowerpossible.com Connect with me on social media! Copyright © EMPOWER Possible  Northfield, United States EMPOWER Possible is dedicated to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities to organize and act together to regenerate our world through Self, Social, and Systems transformation.  info@empowerpossible.com \ Website \ Mission You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in my work—thank you! You can change your email preferences or unsubscribe at any time.  Disclaimer: This newsletter contains content that has been modified and inspired by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. While we use ChatGPT to enhance our content, it should not be considered professional advice. For specific concerns or decisions, please consult with a qualified professional or trusted source. The newsletter authors are not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided by or inspired by ChatGPT. Edit preferences or Unsubscribe