Unearthed
Blog by Alison Braithwaite
Don’t hang yourself out to dry…
Struggling? Don't be a hero. Ask for help. Life is not a solitary journey. The greatest growth I have ever had has been in relationship with other people. The greatest accomplishments I have ever had were when I had the help and support of others. For Jody Steinhauer...
Feeling the Chaos?
Ground yourself in stillness. We live in such a doing world where busyness is worn like a badge of honour. We are trained from a young age to do. In all that doing, we can get in the way of our own being. It is our being that sets us apart. Being is where you connect...
Do we really listen to each other?
Who do you only pretend to listen to by not talking when they are speaking?Who is crying out to be listened to by you?Sometimes it is the person we are labeling as "difficult". Listening is more than not talking. We all want to be seen, heard and understood. To do...
You are more capable than you think
Ever heard that voice inside your head that says: “I can’t do this”? I certainly have. I heard it loud and clear when I was in Costa Rica taking pottery classes and the first thing my instructor Ana said was, “draw what you would like to create”. All I had ever drawn...
Don’t let your brain zap your confidence
It’s that little secret that nobody likes to talk about and yet we all do it to ourselves. We sabotage our own confidence. I had a conversation recently with an amazingly intelligent, capable, and compassionate woman who was preparing for an interview. Not just...
Failure can be so sweet
I had a taste of failure recently and it was so sweet. Failure can feel like defeat and yet it is just what you need to get better. We would have never learned to walk if we weren’t up for a bit of failure. “Failure is not a bad thing. We are so afraid of failure, but...
You don’t have to jump so high
Create Clear Boundaries As an empathetic high performer, you may work at being everything to everyone. You have an incredible ability to crank out work, address situations and help everybody out. In the process, you may neglect yourself. The result is at best...
You mean I have to get them to like themselves?
“You don’t become a leader by getting others to like you. You become a leader by getting others to like themselves.” I have been reflecting on this tweet from The Global Leadership Institute since I first read it. You become a leader by getting others to like...
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Not such a pretty picture. We have been getting torrential rains lately and the lake is in complete overwhelm. The water levels are high, places I am used to walking have barriers with warning signs and trees on the water's edge have their branches submerged. On the...
Are you feeling unsupported?
Do you feel like you could be so much more if you just had the support to get there? Support is an interesting thing. We tend not to notice the supports we actually have and instead may choose to chase people who offer us little or no support. The result?...
You wouldn’t jump out of a plane…
without knowing how to open your parachute. Are you ready? Readiness is important in making things happen. Years ago I decided to go to Haida Gwaii. I loved the paintings of Emily Carr and wanted to feel the place that inspired her creativity. I wanted to really...
It’s not just Fear
It’s not just fear that holds us back. There is so much written about overcoming fears that it can make us think we are not courageous. But it is not only fear that holds us back. I have discovered the importance of nurturing myself. Years ago I was given a rose by my...