The Bridge #125
in which we take a break
Hello
& Welcome ! The Bridge is a newsletter connecting the professional and the personal creatively across cultures and a diversity of topics, until we are not only full of ideas but also ready to take action. Thanks for joining in the conversation.
End of July I hosted an event that celebrated our humanity and fundraised for three non-profits that support young people’s creativity, mindfulness and belonging. Some of you were there in-person, some in spirit. Leading us all in some networking exercises aimed to deepen engagement with the others in the room, I felt in flow with the magic that is my life.
& I asked the question, “When was a time recently (or further back) you felt deep in your gut you could be yourself?” It felt so good to remember, to be our authentic selves, it’s not only something we imagine we could do, it’s something that’s already happened (at least once). We are who we are, already. 😊
I’ll be taking a break in August, but am leaving you here reading material from past editions of The Bridge to re-visit or to read for the first time.
The Bridge has been for me an ever-evolving project, similar to the way I live in general, and yet from the very beginning it’s had a clear theme: to balance everything. Hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane…
The Bridge #59
Published in December 2022, just before I migrated the newsletter from Mailchimp to Substack and at a point when I also transitioned myself from freelancer to entrepreneur, this edition of The Bridge was itself an echo of the year before. For me there is such value in revisiting moments in the past with fresh perspective. This goes for civilizational as well as personal history… Dare to take a look :)
The Bridge #91
Hello & Welcome ! The Bridge is a newsletter connecting the professional and the personal creatively across cultures and a diversity of topics, until we are not only full of ideas but also ready to take action. Thanks for joining in the conversation.
When I re-read edition #91, I remember the feeling I had in March 2024 on the verge of launching my Coaching Practice as my primary professional activity. Creative Balance became a business that I am running because I believe in the power of conversation, in human connection, in a person like me helping reflect to others the doors of opportunity that are open to us all if we take the time to pay attention.
Have you felt that before?
ESSAYS on THE NEW ECONOMY #8
In the New Economy, it will be more important your health than your wealth, more valuable the quality of your friendships than the quantity in your bank account, more interesting a demonstration of how curious you are about others than a demonstration of
Sometimes I write longer essays, and this one (#8) is one of the most vulnerable I have yet written. It describes events that happened two summers ago, a time when I was tested to live my values to a heightened extent. The challenge of supporting myself and my daughters through a period when my life partner experienced a two-month-long manic episode, it was only possible to navigate in real-time because of the support of friends, family (chosen and biological), and trained professionals. It was only possible to heal from the trauma because of leaning into that very same community. And today, two years later, we are celebrating abundant health, real recovery, and the life-giving power of human relationships. If you’d like to learn more about how I navigated this challenging moment in time, you can revisit the essay here.
The Bridge #100
Last summer, edition #100 celebrated the fourth year of The Bridge, and today is the 5th anniversary. Time continues to flow (sometimes floating like a lazy river, other times more like the intensity of white water rafting), and it keeps on going.
When working with coaching clients, I like to invite moments of celebration. If we move on too quickly from times when we have succeeded, ever ambitious, always on to the next, then we risk losing our momentum and needlessly deplete our energy. It’s a form of self-love to appreciate (even today) what we have learned and accomplished. Doesn’t have to be anything impressive in the eyes of the wider public, as long as we know that it’s something worth celebrating. I am celebrating my own continuity and commitment to write and publish. Little by little, this past year I moved from The Bridge #100 to #125 today.
Attending to the world around me with curiosity, I am forever finding something new to share. This is my wish for you too.
Living with curiosity and being bold enough to share with others what we see,
JPC 😎
So happy to be here and see all the wonders you do with this bridge 🔥