Sustainable Ambition Forum - 12.7.23
Happy holidays!
As you continue to enjoy this holiday season, I wanted to share a few holiday concepts and practices I’m embracing this year.
1. Agathism. Being with what’s happening in the world these days, I have found some comfort in a concept I was introduced to by Cheryl Strayed called agathism, which is a doctrine that believes all things tend toward good. And I subscribe to her philosophy of searching for the tiny, beautiful things in the world around us, to search for the good that actually is all around. Find some comfort this season by seeing the good around you.
2. Presence. I appreciate this quote from Ram Dass as a reminder of the value of presence: “When you give another human being, your family, or your business, the fullness of your being at any moment, a little is enough. When you give them half of it, because you’re time binding with your mind, there is never enough. You begin to hear the secret that being fully in the present moment is the greatest gift you can give to each situation.” Be present, even for the short moments. Make the time precious.
3. Enable experiences. Instead of trying to control experiences, consider how you can enable what you might want to create. I learned this insight and prompt in a coaching course from Jennifer Garvey Berger, co-founder and CEO of Cultivating Leadership, and it has stayed with me. I love the concept of enabling something to manifest as opposed to trying so hard to control the outcome.
4. Reflection. Not everyone loves being self-reflective, but it’s critical for learning. And this month is perfect for tuning in to craft the story you want to tell yourself about the past year. I appreciated listening to poet Maggie Smith on Adam Grant’s podcast where she shared that she likes living questions vs. thinking we have the answer that is guiding our living. That really resonates with me, especially as a coach. We tend to ask questions to help people unpack what’s real or present for them or to uncover what might be next. In that spirit, here are a few questions to ponder to guide what you want to live into:
Write a headline or capture 3 adjectives to finish this sentence: The last 12-months were…
What did you learn about yourself this past year?
What do you want to take forward and leave behind in the next year?
Who do you want to be or become in the coming year?
Wishing you a holiday of peace and togetherness, and may your 2024 be filled with moments of joy and connection.
See you in the new year!
Warmly,
Kathy
Founder of Sustainable Ambition
📚 Book Gift Guide
I love to ask for, receive, and give books as gifts. If you’re searching for gift ideas, here are a few recommended books I love, some from authors who were on the podcast this year.
It’s a Good Day to Change the World: Inspiration and Advice for a Feminist Future by Lauren Schiller and Hadley Dynak, Rosy Petri (Illustrator)
Inspiration to step into making a positive impact in the world, while sustaining oneself. Beautifully illustrated to make a lovely book to have out all year long.
Escargot for It: A Snail’s Guide to Finding Your Own Trail & Shell-ebrating Success, story by Sabrina Moyle, pictures by Eunice Moyle
A children’s style book made for us adults! Inspiration to step into our own definition of success.
Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation by Ayelet Fishbach
An accessible read for tips on how to pull yourself toward what you want in life and work.
The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays by Irena Smith
A layered personal story that calls us to create a more inclusive definition of success. And, if you choose to take it on, use the college application questions in the book as self-reflection prompts for yourself.
What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters by Valerie Tiberius
Strong rationale as to why to root our goals in our values and how to navigate goal conflict to reduce frustration and up fulfillment.
All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive by Rainesford Stauffer
Champions a more expansive and inclusive view of ambition vs. ambition being viewed with traditional, narrow, and limiting societal scripts…. a concept of ambition that is more collective, imaginative, and rooted in caring for ourselves and each other.
The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Business Card by Christina Wallace
Good for those going re-evaluating their career. A way to craft your work to align better with yourself, your life, and the ever-changing world around us.
Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra
A new edition of the seminal book on career changes that I reference and recommend over and over again. Very helpful to set one’s expectations around the journey.
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal
A roadmap for gaining traction with how we use our time rather than continually being distracted.
Calm Living: Simple Design Transformations to Fill Your Spaces with Tranquility by Olga Trusova
Lessons on design thinking and ways to create calm in your home and work space.
The Sustainable Ambition Podcast
Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.
🎙️ E121: The Practice of Sustainable Ambition: A Conversation with Sonya Thomas (Coming 12/13)
A fun conversation with my good friend Sonya Thomas where we flip the mic and Sonya interviews me!
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
🎙️ E122: An End of Year Solo Show (Coming 12/27)
An end of year reflection to close out the year.
Listen on your favorite player here or on our website here
🎙️ Podcast Player: 2023 Podcast Highlights
New to the podcast? I love all my interviews, but featuring a few here if you want to catch up and get some inspiration during your holiday break or early next year.
E119: Self-Defined Career Success with Doug Milliken
E117: An Imaginative and Expansive View of Ambition with Rainesford Stauffer
E115: Values and Reducing Goal Conflict to Enhance Well-Being with Valerie Tiberius
E114: The Power of Designing Your Motivation and Ambition with Ayelet Fishbach
E110: Living A More Sustainable, Intentional, Happy Life with Sabrina Moyle
E104: The Benefits of a Portfolio Life: Fulfillment Beyond Work with Christina Wallace
E101: Dialing In Right Effort: Breaking Free from Distractions with Nir Eyal
E98: On Embracing the Power of You with Tricia Montalvo Timm
Time to Reset & Tune-out
Allow yourself to take deep breaths watching these videos.
I encourage you to slow down and watch for just 15 and 30 seconds! 🙂
View here >
“If it brings you joy do more of it.”
— Joseph Campbell