Dear Empowered Reader,
Earlier this month, my husband, Chuck, and I began a journey from Minnesota to Peru. We landed in Lima just as the sun set into the Pacific Ocean. I felt the familiar anticipation that comes with stepping into a new culture, a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Wandering through vibrant markets, tasting unfamiliar tropical fruits, and joining a cooking class that beautifully blended flavors from China, Italy, Japan, and West Africa, I was reminded how travel stretches us, body, mind, and heart, toward connection and curiosity.
On the road to the Sacred Valley, our guide offered a simple yet profound reminder: “When you travel, go with an open mind and an open heart.” To me, that meant honoring the truth that we never fully know another person’s story, so approach each interaction with curiosity and compassion. Those words stayed with me throughout the journey. Leaving Minnesota during a turbulent time had felt heavy, and current events lingered in my mind even as the terrain changed around me. Yet, I realized that true presence required releasing those thoughts and returning to where my feet were in each moment, allowing myself to fully experience the beauty and lessons of the path before me.
Presence, I realized, doesn’t require stillness; it invites us to notice and honor each moment as it unfolds.
At Moray, the circular terraces built by the Inca, I learned a lesson in resilience and growth. These concentric rings, once used for agricultural experimentation, reminded me that transformation often comes through patience and practice. Like the farmers who learned which seeds thrived where, we, too, learn through experience what nurtures our own empowerment and what no longer serves us.
Days later, I began the Inca Trail trek, a physical and spiritual pilgrimage toward Machu Picchu. The preparation for this journey had required strength, endurance, and balance training, but the deeper challenge was internal: trusting my own rhythm, listening to my breath, and accepting that progress often comes in mindful steps rather than giant leaps. Along the way, reading Turn Right at Machu Picchu became a reminder that every adventure is ultimately one of self-discovery. Each step brought a deeper connection to Pachamama, Mother Earth. Her presence was unmistakable in the jungle, with its vines, plants, mist, and rain. She reminded me that empowerment begins within when we root ourselves in awareness and open fully to the beauty, diversity, and wisdom around us.
This journey reminded me that self-awareness is lived out moment by moment: how we hydrate at altitude, how we rest between full days, and how we balance effort with care. Regeneration and authentic leadership begin with these small, ordinary choices.
As you move through your own landscape, I invite you to pause with a few questions:
When did you last feel truly present in your body, your breath, your surroundings?
What roots sustain you, habits, values, people, or communities that steady you when life moves fast?
Where is your inner voice asking for more space or attention this season?
When life feels scattered, try a five-minute grounding practice: Notice five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. Take a few deep breaths. Settle in, as you come home to yourself.
An affirmation to carry with you: “I return to myself with compassion and curiosity.”
For deeper reflection, spend time with Mary Oliver’s The Journey. It speaks to the moment you begin to trust your own voice above all others. Let your inner terrain be as worthy of exploration as the Sacred Valley itself.
In the next newsletter, we’ll build from this foundation of self-awareness and explore our second empowerment: Catalyze Your Social Networks: the art of weaving connection and community that sustains meaningful change.
Take care, dear reader,
Julie
Founder, Empower Possible |
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