As many of you know, I had the tremendous opportunity to attend Amber Housley’s Inspired Retreat. The impact it had on me and my business has been transformational, but not exactly in the ways I expected. Watch the video below for a taste of what this amazing experience was like.

Videos by the wonderful Kasey Walker of Point200

Over the past several months, I’ve been on a crazy, wild, and exciting ride in my business, but I’ve been feeling like there’s no way for me to get off. Isn’t it funny that the times when we feel that we can’t pull ourselves away are the times when we need to pull away the most?

Before I left for the retreat, I was finding myself in a constant state of overwhelm nearly every single day. I found myself overindulging in foods that aren’t great for me, distracting myself scrolling on Instagram, and drowning myself in work that was counterproductive. I felt like I was running from meeting to meeting and not using the time I had to the best of my ability - can you relate? Honestly, I was failing miserably at following my own words of advice.

Life is busy. There’s no way around it. Because of the nature of my work, it’s always going to be busy. And I know that most of us are right in the middle of our busy season right now. Running constantly and trying to do TOO MUCH, we get weary. And when we’re weary and beat down, we start to wonder why we’re doing what we’re doing. I know that before the retreat, I failed to take time to take stock and ask myself the questions we all NEED to be asking ourselves.

“How am I doing?”
“What am I doing with my life?”
“Is there anything that needs to change?”
“Where is my career going, and where do I WANT it to go?”

These were the questions I was able to finally answer during my time at the retreat.

Attending Inspired Retreat has put me in the state of mind that I desperately needed. To STOP running and consistently keep working to ground myself and find my center instead.

What I’ve realized is that although Modern Day is blessed with the most amazing and wonderful clients, at the end of the day, I can only do so much, and I have to trust that everything is going to get done. I have to remember that it’s not just me. I have a team in place to back me up for this exact reason, so I am going to trust that and allow myself to step back and practice inner peace instead.

What Inspired Retreat Taught Me

Inspired Retreat helped me realize that I have to slow down, take a deep breath, and go back to basics.

I was forced to stop, take count and really connect with the other women that were there. Amber truly creates the most loving and open experience, far beyond any retreat I’ve ever been to. I could walk up to anyone in that group and strike up a conversation and feel totally comfortable and at home. I’ve attended a lot of retreats and conferences, and they’ve all had great qualities, but the Inspired Retreat was special.

Amber has a way of creating such an open environment, and all of the people there were incredibly warm, open, and easy to be around. The retreat spot was located outside of Nashville, nestled in the woods and secluded enough to feel like a true escape. Spending time in nature for those 4 days with no outside distractions really allowed my mind to slow down and get back to basics and those questions that are truly important. It was a reminder that we have to continue to battle the busy and fight to give ourselves the time to step away and have experiences like this.

The things that I learned from Inspired Retreat was to really to slow down, take stock, assess where you’re going, and regroup, so you can be the best version of yourself.

Of course, the classes and sessions were phenomenal. It was a true immersion in a safe and open environment of growth and learning.

One of the biggest things I took away from the retreat were the friendships that were created. You all know that I’m big on connection, but having the opportunity to connect with other women, not just in the wedding business space, but in several different entrepreneurial fields. Sometimes what we really need is to get out of our own circles for a bit and surround ourselves with other people who are looking to share and soak up inspiration.

Here are three things I learned through the experience of Inspired Retreat that I’m going to start practicing to keep myself grounded and prioritize my inner peace.

I’m staying off social media first thing in the morning - Facebook, Instagram, everything. Instead, I’m going to try and go out in nature and allow myself to be free of those distractions even for just 10-15 minutes before I fully start my day.
I plan to stop running from meeting to meeting unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’m going to get back to practicing the fundamentals of essentialism.
I’m prioritizing connections - not just in my industry, but outside my industry as well including carving out time for my family and myself.

When was the last time you stopped and stepped away and assessed how you’re taking care of yourself? For me, the resounding message came back to, “What are you doing with your life?” “Where are you going with your career?”

Here’s my challenge to you - can you come up with your own three things that will help you stay grounded and prioritize your inner peace over the constant overwhelm? List your three things in the comments, and let’s do our best to hold each other accountable.

Taking the time to go to Inspired Retreat helped me see that taking time away doesn’t have to be a scary thing, in fact, it can be exactly what you need. I encourage you to do the same in any way that makes sense for you. It doesn’t need to be a business retreat; it could be carving out a daily routine of meditation or taking a brisk walk outside. The point is to remove yourself from the work long enough to quiet your mind so you can hear yourself think. Trust your intuition and do what feels right for YOU.

I think you’ll find that even a little time away can completely change your mindset, attitude, and make you the best CEO you can possibly be. Thanks to Amber Housley for putting together this wonderful and life-changing experience for me and all of the amazing women who were there. It was an experience I won’t soon forget.

Journal

These were the questions I was able to finally answer during my time at the retreat.

What Inspired Retreat Taught Me

When was the last time you stopped and stepped away and assessed how you’re taking care of yourself? For me, the resounding message came back to, “What are you doing with your life?” “Where are you going with your career?”