AWARENESS – What is Your New Normal and is it What You Really Want?

A reflection of my night with Ellen Palmer at the CTWM Think Pink Event

Written By an Anonymous Attendee

It has been a while since I attended an in-person event. It was the CTWM Think Pink event hosted by Connecticut Wealth Management in October of 2019 and focused on “mindfulness.” Throughout that discussion, the guest speaker Ellen Palmer, Certified Holistic Health + Life Coach, celebrated the connection of the physical body, energy & mind and guided me through exercises that helped me gain clarity in my life. I walked away from the event with new strategies to help me on my journey of mindfulness and feeling motivated and inspired. 

Then a pandemic hit. I found myself throughout the pandemic looking for the helpers, the positive things, and reaching into my mindfulness toolbox to stay grounded.

Fast forward to October 2021. Connecticut Wealth Management welcomed back Ellen Palmer as the guest speaker for their in-person and virtual Think Pink event. This time Ellen’s discussion was about “awareness” and how the pandemic increased “awareness” about yourself, those around you, and your life overall. 

Speaking as both a Certified Holistic Health + Life Coach and as a woman who understands the societal expectations placed on women, Ellen offered insight on how to live an authentic life, starting from a place of clarity (where we left off in 2019). She urged attendees to reflect on what we have learned about ourselves during the pandemic— what we do, what we control, and what we have changed. She urged people to use this information to identify the things we value most in our lives.

Watch Think Pink event video:

Thinking back to The Year of the Pandemic, I recall some of my own pieces of awareness. From realizing how much time getting ready in the morning took, to reflect on how much time I was (or wasn’t) spending with my family.

Most of all, I became aware of the near-deafening silence and uncomfortable halt create by the pandemic. The silver lining of it all is we finally had a few moments to explore deep questions such as:

  • How do I want to be remembered?
  • Who and what do I care about most?
  • In the words of Mary Oliver, what do I want to do with my one wild and precious life?

Ellen’s discussion that night inspired me to become AWARE of the changes I want to make. Life has CHANGED. What ‘normal’ do I want to return to? Do I even want ‘normal?’ Most of all, Ellen made me aware of the changes that I would like to make so I can evolve and live life to its fullest. 

Judging from the audience participation throughout the evening, it was clear that Ellen’s talk created personal inspiration in a variety of ways. If you want a little inspiration in your life, I encourage you to take the time to watch Ellen’s session. You might just walk away with a little more awareness of the small things that help you evolve and get the most out of LIFE.

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