about

So a bit about me. I left the life I knew in 2010 to transform my thinking through traveling and experiencing places and people in other parts of the world and to focus some time on writing. Traveling solo, meeting new people as an introvert, love, loss, comic mishaps, fear, faith, risk-taking… these have all found their way onto the pages of this unfolding story. Life is personal, flawed, scary and amazing, and I attempt to keep it real on these pages without being a reality show.

A little background
I spent more than twenty years in marketing communications and brand development, doing a lot of corporate writing for others along the way but putting aside my own words and thoughts. I raised children, married and divorced and kept on moving forward. Over time I realized that most people work really hard, have little time for life and are often worn out. As technological ‘advances’ sped up, people were expected to speed up. No matter how hard they worked they couldn’t get ahead of the avalanche of information, email, things to do. I was one of these people… spinning on the wheel. But I believed it could be different… in fact, that it was supposed to be different.

I began to look at what was missing and it was obvious that people’s spirits and connection with God were undernourished or absent. People who had some sense of their own spirituality didn’t seem to apply it in their work. I began to study spiritual formation—how people’s spirituality is formed and how to support and guide this formation process—and specifically focused my attention on integrating one’s whole self in leadership, life and work. After many years of part-time study and life lessons I graduated in 2009 with my master’s degree in spiritual formation.

In the midst of this, I had a growing desire to strike out on my own and craft a professional life as an author, speaker, traveler, teacher and consultant and to integrate my love of being active and spending time in the outdoors. What had kept me from going after this sooner was the lifestyle overhead that I had to maintain, lock up, pay taxes on, etc. And there was that pesky uncertainty that had me frozen. I had bought into ‘someday’ thinking. Someday I’ll have the time; someday I’ll have the resources, someday the timing will fall into place. It took several events in my life, including the death of my father, to realize that someday is a day that rarely comes. There is just today.

So it began…
In 2007 I began gathering my courage to leave the security of my corporate job (I use the word ‘security’ loosely) and head out on my own path. I counted the cost and in spite of the economic turmoil, I followed my heart, resigned my job and founded Authentic Storytelling in 2008. You can learn more about Authentic Storytelling by visiting the web site, www.authenticstorytelling.com, (woefully in need of updating, but happily in process). Recent developments include a new business partner, a forthcoming book on authentic leadership and organizational storytelling and, coming soon, retreats and workshops will move out of the classroom into transformative natural surroundings such as the Scottish Highlands. Authentic living and inspired leadership make for compelling stories; we guide people in living the life they are meant to live and sharing their story in a way that makes the difference it was meant to make, personally and in their business.

Starting this consultancy was a step on the path to a different way to live and work. I got my first passport in 2009, stripped down my life, sold or donated most of what I owned and bought a one-way plane ticket. I landed in Ireland first. I have been blessed to have lived in or visited Ireland, France, Scotland, England, Greece, Italy and Germany so far. It is a journey that is teaching me to live with fewer constraints and greater courage and is also making it so clear how much everything about life is really about love, and learning to love more truly, passionately and courageously.

Life is meant to be a great adventure. Hopefully some of the things I experience and share and what you choose to share with me and others here will help each of us dust off our dreams and live the life that is ours to live.

Thank you,
Charlena

So Full of Shit, So Full of Promise is the first post if you wish to read from the start.