Rooted + Rising

Some seasons stretch you in ways no one else can see.

The last few months have held some of that. Highs worth celebrating. Milestones. Moments I will not forget. They have also held quieter things. Loss. Reflection. More prayer and more journaling than I have done in a long time. I learned more about myself than I expected to.

You can be deeply grateful for your blessings while still quietly carrying something heavy. Both things are true at once. That is not a contradiction. That is just being human.

I have had people tell me for years that I never look like what I am going through. Resilience is a gift, but I am learning it should not come at the expense of letting people in. Looking strong is not the same as being okay.

This is something I talk about often with the people I coach. So many leaders carry the same pattern. They hold the room together, answer every question, show up composed, and rarely tell anyone what it costs them. Rooted people are not people without struggle. Rooted people are the ones who have learned how to stay steady without pretending the struggle is not there.

If I am honest, this season also reminded me to do a better job checking on my people. We all get busy. We all assume there will be another conversation, another call, another chance. There will not always be one.

So here is what I keep coming back to. Celebrate the wins, but do not assume the highlight reel tells the whole story. Tell people you love them. Check on the ones who always seem fine. Give grace freely, especially to the people who rarely ask for it. Take care of your mind, your body, and your heart before life forces you to.

This is the part of leadership nobody puts in the keynote. The rising only holds if the roots are tended too.

Courtney...on the move