In my work with leaders, and in my own life, I keep noticing how different things feel when work aligns with who we truly are. There’s a flow to it, a sense of meaning, contribution, even joy. There’s less striving and proving for worth. What a relief!

That kind of alignment takes gritty, non-linear, inside-out reflection. It asks us to understand our core essence and to be conscious and values-aligned about how we spend our time, who we spend it with, what we say yes to, and how we live and lead in the relational field each day.

It reminds me of Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones research, where many centenarians in Okinawa spoke about ikigai, a clear reason for being, or simply put, purpose.

I’m humbled witnessing and partnering more leaders sitting with a gnarly misalignment that eventually opens into something quieter and more candid from within, a desire to spend their valuable time in ways that reflect who they really are. When they allow that exploration, the shifts can be significant. Sometimes it’s a new role, a new way of leading, a different form of contribution. It becomes more about being and doing versus doing without meaning.

When work flows from essence rather than expectation of oneself or from others, meaning and alignment rise.

What are your valuable days asking you to realign right now?

As ever, with fervor,

Eva