Planting seeds of empowerment
When people step into their own power, they flourish. And when people flourish, businesses and communities flourish too.
This March, as the daffodils bloomed, conscious that each new era begins within, I decided to do something different - I decided to use the wealth of my own life experience to plant seeds of renovation and reinvention, seeds of transformation, seeds of empowerment. And I found myself creating workshops and programs that do just that - empower people.
I always loved the month of March. Here in the UK, daffodils bloom, just on time to honour the International Women Day and to celebrate Mother’s day. And, as we move toward the equinox, nature’s creative energy unleashes - it is a symphony of celebration, renovation, and reinvention.
And yet this year, March started on different notes. While we might have strengthened our resilience muscles, boosted our daily dose of self care and learnt creative coping strategies, it is undeniable that the events of this past year left no one unscratched. So this March, we need renovation and reinvention more than ever, and at a much deeper level.
As vaccination programs unfold and inspiring movements around the world build momentum, questions like “where do we go from here?” and “what can we build from these ashes?” became the crucial ones for me to answer. I am one of those women who learns best from real-life experience, I am pragmatist learner. So it didn’t surprise me that the answers I was seeking came to me through the experiences of others.
The first answers came from my BBC app, in the form of a video - it featured the story of a Japanese man, a survivor from the natural disaster of Fukushima (earthquake, tsunami, over 10.000 victims). The headlines read ‘Live like there is no tomorrow’. Thirsty for pragmatic wisdom, I hit the ‘watch’ button. I don’t speak Japanese so I could only read the subtitles. But the body language of that man didn’t need translation, that joyous glow on his face told no lie. By contrast, his story was heartbreaking - he had lost his entire family and community to the earthquake and tsunami - he had felt like his life was interrupted, like his tomorrow had fail to come. And he had crushed, giving into heavy alcoholism for years. And then, at some point along that painful journey, he had found his own power - the power to use what happened to him, his tragic past, to feed society’s reinvention. And he was now working with associations and schools to train young Japanese to ‘live like there was no tomorrow’ - to live each and every day with intensity and spontaneity, doing what counts the most and treasuring the loved ones.
And within a few days, more real-life answers seemed to literally drop in my lap - a dialogue with an amazing woman who was abused by those she trusted the most and now uses her life experience to heal others; a virtual catch up with a gifted friend who composes songs to give a voice to those who have no voice; a join-up with an inspiring activist who is promoting mental health education in her place of work, whilst battling with her own mental health challenges.
So, ok, I found my answers; or perhaps my answers found me. And I certainly got the message, clear and loud.
So this March, as the daffodils and mimosas bloomed, conscious that each new era begins within, I decided to do something different - I decided to use the wealth of my own life experience to plant seeds of renovation and reinvention, seeds of transformation, seeds of empowerment. In my own unique way. So as the MD of Shella Consulting, I found myself creating workshops and programs that do just that - empower people. And when people step into their own power, they flourish. And when people flourish, businesses and communities flourish too, like in a virtuous circle - which is exactly what we need to brighten up the present and build the foundations for a sustainable, exciting, people-centred future.
So, as my daughter and I planted seeds in the garden - our sustainable way of celebrating Mother’s day - it felt like planting seeds of empowerment. And perhaps it was my life experience as a mother that whispered in my ears that these seeds will turn into beautiful flowers.
Ella
Managing Director, Shella Consulting Ltd
