I always seem to live ‘outside’ the norm – conventional norms don’t seem to stick to me. I grew up in Alaska – outside the “norm” of what might be considered North America. I grew up between cultures, spending summers in Austria and Italy with family there.
I found myself attracted to studying the Japanese language and culture for my undergraduate degree, then ended up in Taiwan, studying Mandarin and teaching English. After a career in journalism and teaching, I discovered I could get a Masters in Intercultural Relations – combining my love of diverse environments without having to choose between them.
Living in Asia, then Europe, and often outside of a corporate structure, I had a lot of freedom to choose where I lived and worked. As a foreigner, I was not held to societal expectations, and had a lot of freedom to live independently. Of course, this meant that I did not understand the societal support system either.
Getting help meant that I had to rely on my relationship and community building skills, because friends, neighbors, and work collaborators were the ones I had to call on when I needed assistance. It often took much longer, and much more energy to accomplish something than someone who lived ‘inside the system’. But it meant that I got really good at building community and my support network.
Besides often being an outsider, I’ve spent 95% of my working life as an independent change consultant and coach.
I have worked primarily with corporate companies, though here and there I do enjoy working with NGOs. This is another aspect of being outside a system. I found that I have permission to suggest things from the outside the system that others inside a system will receive and consider.
However, the trade-off of all this independence is that I often felt a deeply missing sense of belonging. For many years I wandered between professional groups, or groups associated with my hobbies. I tried very hard to adapt and become Japanese, Chinese, German – but of course that was impossible. I could blend in better in Germany, but as soon as I spoke it was clear I was an outsider.
I was active in starting communities around expat career women, healers, and even meetup groups connected to my favorite facilitation toolset. I was active in the local chapter of coaches too. As long as I looked for belonging outside and on the surface, I felt between two worlds. A bridge. Not on one shore – or the other.
I hope you can see that no matter how outside the current system you feel, you are indeed part of a beautiful group of Souls. Those that came to this giant planetary school we call Earth, first to learn and grow as incarnate energy and secondly, to raise the frequency and quality of life here.
We know in our deepest hearts that there is beauty and love everywhere – and we want that for everyone around us.
You are not alone. Most of us have been blinded by the story of separation we’ve been fed. But the more we speak about what we feel and ‘know’ without knowing why – we discover each other. We discover that there are others who sense as we do, who feel as we do, and who see things that are invisible to others.
I’ve created this space to gather, feel deeply connected, and whole. To reaffirm that we have gifts that the planet desperately needs. And those gifts can be discovered, refined, and strengthened to be used in the world as it evolves.
It is time to normalize sensing, feeling, seeing energy, and living aligned with your true nature.The world needs us to be brave. This is why we came.