Finding Yourself in the Heart of Parenthood

There's a moment every new parent knows – usually around 3 AM, holding your baby in the soft glow of a nightlight – when you realize that while all the parenting books told you how to care for your little one, none of them quite explained how to care for yourself in this transformation.

Between the midnight feedings and morning meetings, the diaper changes and daily responsibilities, you might find yourself wondering: Where did I go in all of this? How do I be both myself and this new version of me?

I recently spoke with a parent who said, "Everyone asks how the baby is sleeping. Nobody asks how I'm doing with becoming a completely different person." Their words echo what many new parents feel but rarely express.

The journey of new parenthood brings challenges that go far beyond sleep deprivation:

• Balancing your identity as both an individual and a parent

• Managing the emotional weight of constant decisions

• Navigating changing relationships with partner, friends, and family

• Finding space for self-care without guilt

• Maintaining professional confidence while learning this new role

But here's what's beautiful about this moment: While it feels like your world has been turned upside down, you're actually in a powerful position to intentionally shape who you're becoming. This transformation isn't about losing yourself – it's about expanding into a more complex, capable version of you.

Think about this: What if becoming a parent isn't about sacrificing who you are, but about integrating this new role into a more complete version of yourself? What if this time of change is actually an opportunity to define motherhood on your own terms?

The real challenge isn't about finding balance – it's about creating harmony between all the parts of who you are becoming.

This is where the LifeResults CORE workshop offers unique support. Over one transformative weekend, you'll:

• Reconnect with your core identity beyond parenthood

• Develop tools for emotional resilience

• Learn to navigate competing priorities with confidence

• Create space for personal growth alongside family life

• Connect with others experiencing similar transitions

The workshop provides something rare and valuable for new parents: dedicated time to focus on your own growth and well-being, supported by others who understand this journey.

Ready to discover how to thrive – not just survive – in this new chapter? Join us at the next LifeResults CORE workshop. It's time to create a foundation that supports both you and your growing family.

Reclaiming Your Story: The Unexpected Gift of Starting Over

Remember when your story seemed so clearly written? The path ahead felt certain, plotted out in shared dreams and future plans. Then suddenly, the narrative changed. Now you're staring at blank pages, wondering how to begin again.

Here's the truth about blank pages – they can feel terrifying, but they're also where the most authentic stories begin.

I recently sat with someone who shared, "At first, I could only see what I'd lost. But gradually, I started to notice something else – space. Space to rediscover old passions. Space to make decisions without compromise. Space to reimagine who I could become." Their words capture the hidden opportunity within this challenging chapter of your life.

The process of reclaiming your story comes with its own unique challenges:

• Finding your voice again after speaking in "we" for so long

• Rewriting daily routines that were created for two

• Rediscovering personal passions that may have faded

• Learning to trust your own narrative

• Creating new meaning in familiar spaces

But here's what's powerful about this moment: You're not just turning a page – you're choosing to become the author of your next chapter. The storyline that felt disrupted is actually opening up to new possibilities, ones that align more closely with your authentic self.

Think about this: What if this apparent plot twist isn't a derailment of your story, but rather the beginning of your most genuine chapter yet? What if the empty spaces in your life aren't voids to be filled, but rather blank canvas awaiting your creativity?

The journey of reclaiming your story isn't just about moving on. It's about intentional self-discovery, choosing your own adventures, and writing your future with purpose and authenticity.

This is where the LifeResults CORE workshop becomes transformative. Over one powerful weekend, you'll:

• Reconnect with your authentic voice and values

• Develop confidence in writing your own story

• Learn tools for emotional resilience and growth

• Create a vision for your next chapters

• Connect with others who are also rewriting their stories

You don't have to figure out this new chapter alone. The CORE workshop provides a supportive environment where you can transform this transition into an opportunity for profound personal authorship.

Ready to start writing your next chapter? Join us at the next LifeResults CORE workshop. It's time to reclaim your story.

Beyond the Paycheck: Finding Purpose in Your Professional Pivot

Twenty years in tech. That's what the resume says. But what it doesn't show is the quiet Sunday evenings spent wondering, "Is this really what I'm meant to do?" Or the morning commutes filled with dreams of work that feels more meaningful.

If you're considering a major career change, especially after building a successful career in one field, you're not alone. The question isn't just about changing jobs – it's about aligning your work with who you've become.

I recently spoke with a former tech executive who made the leap into sustainable business consulting. "The hardest part wasn't learning new skills," he shared. "It was giving myself permission to start over, to be a beginner again after being an expert for so long."

This resonates with many professionals facing similar crossroads. The challenges are real:

• Trading expertise for uncertainty

• Rebuilding professional identity

• Managing others' perceptions

• Balancing financial stability with personal fulfillment

• Navigating family impacts of career transitions

But here's what we often forget: Your years of experience aren't just a list of technical skills. They're a foundation of wisdom, problem-solving abilities, and emotional intelligence that can transfer to any field. The question isn't whether you're capable of change – it's about finding the courage to begin.

Think about this: What if your career change isn't about starting over, but about expanding into something greater? What if your previous experience is exactly what your new field needs?

The real challenge isn't the practical aspects of changing careers. It's the internal journey – rebuilding confidence, redefining success, and reconciling who you've been with who you want to become.

This is where the LifeResults CORE workshop becomes transformative. Over one powerful weekend, you'll:

• Clarify your authentic professional purpose

• Build confidence in your transition

• Develop tools for navigating uncertainty

• Connect with others making bold life changes

• Create a practical roadmap for your journey

Your career change is more than just a job switch – it's a chance to align your work with your values and create impact in ways that truly matter to you.

Ready to transform your professional uncertainty into purposeful action? Join us at the next LifeResults CORE workshop. It's time to build the bridge between your experience and your aspirations.

Finding Yourself Again: Rediscovering Joy After Divorce

The mirror feels different now. Where you once saw someone's partner, you now see... who exactly? It's a question many of us grapple with after divorce, when our reflection seems to blur between who we were and who we're becoming.

I remember sitting across from a woman who told me, "I spent so long being someone's wife that I forgot how to just be me." Her words echo the sentiment of many who find themselves navigating life after divorce – feeling simultaneously lost and on the verge of something new.

The truth is, divorce isn't just the end of a marriage. It's often the beginning of a profound journey back to yourself. But this journey comes with its own set of challenges:

You might find yourself questioning decisions you once made confidently. Simple choices – what to eat for dinner, which movie to watch, how to spend a Saturday – suddenly feel weighted with uncertainty when there's no one else's preferences to consider.

Your social circles might shift, leaving you to rediscover not just who you are, but who your true friends are. Some relationships strengthen, others fade, and you learn to navigate gatherings alone.

Most challenging perhaps is the inner dialogue – the constant negotiation between grief for what was lost and hope for what could be.

But here's what's beautiful about this moment: you get to choose. Every aspect of your life is open to redefinition. Your schedule, your home, your goals, your dreams – they're all yours to reimagine.

Consider this: What if this period of uncertainty could be transformed into a time of intentional self-discovery? What if the space left by loss could be filled with new purpose?

This is where the LifeResults CORE workshop comes in. Over one transformative weekend, you'll join others who are also navigating life's significant transitions. Through proven tools and guided experiences, you'll:

• Reconnect with your authentic self

• Build confidence in your choices

• Develop resilience for your journey ahead

• Create a vision for your next chapter

Ready to transform this challenging time into a breakthrough moment? The next LifeResults CORE workshop is waiting for you. Join us for a weekend that could change everything.

What If We Listened?

Are you happy with the state of the world right now?

I'm not – and I've been thinking about what we can do, what I can do?

What if we listened to each other as a starting point?

What if we asked “Why do you think that?” instead of attempting to prove our own belief using power tactics such as “my source is better than yours,” “I have more education” or “someone important said this.”

When’s the last time you changed someone’s mind with an Internet posting? Infrequent at best, right? How about in a conversation? Likely more often, though these days that can be difficult as well.

Why is that?

In my view, because we aren’t listening to each other – and if you want it, you gotta do it, model it, so others can see it works.

At LifeResults, one of the tools we teach is the “Four Fs.” These are four fear-based reactions that we all have ourselves, and see in others, on a daily basis. Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Façade (fake).

HMMM.

And best of all, we each have our favorite – our go-to fear-based reaction. Though most of us are experts in several so that when one doesn’t work, there’s another one at the ready. 

Now don’t get me wrong, these fear-based reactions can be useful, can save our lives even. We need to flee a burning building, for example.

AND, when we allow fear-based reactions to be our response, they become patterns. Patterns are non-think, non-creative, and usually destructive – and serve no one.

OK, what can we do?

Each of the four F’s has an “antidote” – a way to interrupt the pattern of fear and come from response, instead of reaction. For example:

• Fight’s antidote is Empathy: i.e. I wonder why that person cut me off on the freeway, they must have a really pressing reason to drive so fast (instead of speeding up to cut them off in retaliation).

• Flight’s antidote is Evaluation: i.e. when I feel like fleeing (physically or mentally), what if I paused, evaluated the situation to see if it really is dangerous, and then perhaps I can find a more thoughtful response.

• Freeze’s antidote is Enthusiasm: i.e. an object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest – stuck. Get moving! Find a reason to take action, give the task at hand some energy, and you’re no longer stuck.

• Façade’s antidote is Ethics: bring truth, instead of a lie. You can even answer simple, everyday questions such as “How are you?” with a real response, creating connection and trust vs. “I’m fine” which does nothing of the sort.

What’s your “favorite F” (fear-based reaction)?

Knowing that, what do you need more of? (Hint, the antidote😊)

Try out your newfound “E” today – and maybe mix in kindness, respect, active listening, and acceptance as well. These are old-school values for sure, and yet they never go out of style. Let’s see what happens!

Submitted by Dave Vanable, LifeResults board president