To my readers in the U.S., happy early Thanksgiving! If you live elsewhere, I hope you’re enjoying the final weeks of 2019!
Today I wanted to share what’s been happening in my world, including a few tough things I’ve experienced this year.
1 – My new life in Puerto Rico
This move was a shocker for me. I was firmly planted in New York City and never imagined leaving. But, as life would have it, I made a move down to St. Petersburg, Florida and six weeks later decided I’d be moving to Puerto Rico after my big launch.
2 – The kindness and generosity of friends and strangers
Moving to Puerto Rico was easy in some ways and very challenging in others. You can’t get an Uber where I live and I don’t drive, so getting around was tough. At times I was dealing with inconsistent internet and other obstacles that made work and life difficult. I also felt lonely without the distractions and excitement that a big city provides.
Thankfully, many people went out of their way to help me get settled – from giving me a place to stay to teaching me how to drive a golf cart!
3 – Continually saying yes to things that scare me
My friend Mark Wade runs an event called Puerto Rico Masterminds. A famous speaker backed out at the last minute, so, a week before the event, he asked if I’d speak.
A part of me thought, “Of course, what a tremendous honor!” Another part of me panicked. But the wise part of me won. I’m so glad I said yes.
4 – The love I have for my cat, Trio
One of the hardest things in 2019 was losing my cat Trio when I moved to Puerto Rico. This kitty brought me unimaginable joy and was my sweet little rock. On August 18th, he celebrated his second birthday and I posted this on Instagram in honor of him.
The good news is now I’m at peace. I know that Trio is as happy as can be in his current situation. Traveling the world and being in unfamiliar situations would have just caused him stress. And while I’m not physically by his side, I think about him daily and feel deeply connected to his spirit.
5 – My rockstar team members
I hit the jackpot when it comes to the team of A-players I get to work with. In particular, this year I brought on two senior leaders – Lynya Floyd, my senior media coach, and Jamie Gulino-Davis, my sales leader.
I love that together we can serve our clients and students in a much deeper way.
6 – My clients and my students
With thousands of coaches and experts out there, I’m always humbled when people choose to work with me and my team. It’s been an honor to help over 600 entrepreneurs this year scale their impact.
7 – Learning more about myself
I’m a personality test junkie and recently got my Myers-Briggs type verified. I was stunned to learn I’m not an INFJ but in fact an INTJ. I had a mini identity crisis! But as I delved deeper, it all started to make sense. As I rebuild my life in 2019, knowing who I am, what I want, and what I need has been immensely helpful in creating a new foundation.
8 – Traveling the world
I took most of September off, traveling to incredible places such as Barcelona, Lisbon, Istanbul and Cappadocia… followed by a week in New York.
I learned some surprising things while traveling the world. The top two were:
- Traveling the world is not my favorite to do. Don’t get me wrong, I loved going to beautiful places and taking time away from work…but I love staying intellectually stimulated and being connected to a group of close friends and like-minded people even more.
Everything I want I already have. My favorite experiences during my trip were deep conversations with my travel companion, enjoying a variety of delicious meals, reading books and listening to personal development and business podcasts, getting massages, and playing with cats. The good news…all of these things are readily available to me wherever I am.
9 – My business continuing to thrive and flourish amidst change
2019 was a year full of change, uncertainty, and rebuilding – both personally and professionally. While we were able to maintain a multiple seven-figure business, this is the only year that my business didn’t grow.
While this was initially a hit to my ego, I was quickly reminded that growth isn’t always linear. The deep inner work I’ve been doing, the things we’ve tested in the business, and all the lessons we’ve learned have laid the groundwork for bigger and better things in 2020. I truly can’t wait!
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Thank you for letting me share with you. This list was not easy for me to write, but I wanted to be open with you. The cool thing is that when I look back on my year, there’s not a thing I would have changed. Everything I’ve experienced has made me stronger and wiser, and for that I am truly grateful.
And now I’d love to know, did anything I share resonate with you? I’d love if you could let me know on Facebook right here. I read and respond to every comment!
All my love,
Selena
