Hi Reader,

Today is September 17th, a date that - for me - will live in…

I want to say “infamy…” to echo FDR’s words on the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Specifically, he said (starting at 1:55 in the recording), “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

Here are the definitions of infamy according to Merriam-Webster:

🎭 The Scene

September 17th, 2009 was a day of infamy in many ways - for me.

No “evil reputation” like the dictionary mentions, though - not outwardly, anyway. Inside, though - yes. The events of that day made me think of myself, my body, as… bad, if not evil. Definitely not to be trusted.

That day gave me doubt, fear, sadness and a sense of uncertainty that I had never felt before toward myself. My body, my life force, betrayed me by being so very dangerously close to dying, to extinguishing the vitality I once cherished – not once, but twice! And all because of a malfunction, an error, the mysteries of the human body doing what the human body does.

💡 Cue the Shift

Every day since September 17th, 2009 has been a gift and yet, even with that knowledge, I'll be honest with you and tell you: I’ve pissed away a bunch of time, money and effort.

It’s what we do, right? The road to hell paved with good intentions and all that.

When we’re angry or fearful or worried or feeling unstable, we aren’t balanced and we’re not very smart. When our bodies fail in addition to our emotions going awry, that's a recipe for disaster.

For some, it’s work all the time mode, no play, only duty.

For others, it’s all about burrowing into Netflix and the socials to dull the pain.

When we don’t feel good emotionally or psychologically, it's often because there’s something trying to get our attention and we don’t want to give it any out of fear or shame or the probability of grief. Sometimes the fear is about the intensity of our emotions.

Anger and rage are funny things sometimes. We often are afraid to express them because we think they'll burn down everything around us - our livelihoods, our relationships, everything. What if we blow up and end up alone, unemployed, and a pariah? So we stay quiet. I did that for a long time.

As a coach helping clients in various ways, I’ve served as witness to the rage, grief and regret (and blame!!) so many of us have about not doing the things - right or wrong, not taking the leaps, not sticking with their dreams and goals, not cutting their losses, staying in relationships, jobs, places too long.

Disasters and catastrophes work like this, too. Right after September 17th, 2009, I worked on recovering physically. That took some months. The emotional recovery took years. And the psychological recovery? Well, that’s ongoing and will last, probably forever.

Sometimes in my helping people get their acts together, we both get unexpected bounties, like finding the thing or things they/I needed all along. For my clients, this is often not necessarily what they started out looking for. Same for me, too. This has been so anytime I've gone through coaching programs or worked one on one with practitioners that grow me.

The grief of losing the thing, person, or the person we thought we were meant to be, never gets smaller. It just seems that way because we grow around it - if we're lucky and smart and get the help we need.

🌱 What's Next

And sometimes instead of tears, the anniversaries bring contemplation and vulnerability and the desire to help someone else who’s in pain.

17 years ago I almost lost my life. Since then I’ve lost plenty more: body parts, imagined futures, businesses, potentialities, and last year I lost a job I loved and was knocked down yet again. It'll happen again, I'm sure. The human condition and all that.

2026 is almost over and I’m still here, helping people access what they need at work, helping myself get and stay regulated at home, coaching, auditioning, and moving forward. We never know what tomorrow brings, but if we can bring ourselves to the point of just moving a bit, sometimes we can coast on the momentum while we catch our breath.

If this resonates for you, I am open to two new 1:1 clients and shorter term (1-3 session) consultations until the end of 2026.

You can schedule a no-obligation conversation about how I can help you and to see if we're a fit.

I’m working on Q1 2027 programming that may include more than just career coaching as well, so I'll be sending out a form next week in case you'd like to weigh in on that.

Thank you for your support.

Gladys