We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Leonardi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Stephanie , so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Self care isn’t a one time thing. Self care is a rhythm, its an intentional response to this one life that we get. Self care is a pace to living in a way that actually works. That actually allows you to be / become who you really are. A real, whole, complete human being. Self care is listening, listening to your body so that you can be the best version of yourself for yourself and others around you. I have been on a long journey of listening, and how to listen. If you rearrange those letters it also spells the word silent. I never read that anywhere before – I just noticed it. There is an invite to slow down, be still, quiet, silent, to listen. I believe I have everything I need at any given moment if I stop, look, ask and listen. And I don’t mean physically or materially only – like in my body, within myself, I have the information or knowing. I can give you a long list of things “to do” or that I have done that would fit the category, they are there! But I’m sure there a million online somewhere, too. what I rather do is be a little whisper voice, saying to the part of you that ALREDY KNOWS it to be TRUE so it could wake up a little more inside of you and become a real personal movement in your life. I have lots of practices. ((practice | ‘praktas|noun 1 the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it:)) the longest intentional practice that I have is turning off my phone on fridays. I’d say at least 7 years. It changes how I do the other 6 days of the week. It allows me to remind myself that my phone is a tool for me to do what I am here to do, NOT always access to me from anyone anytime. To that point I have all notifications turned off as well, I only see them when I click directly on what ever app or communication feature one might be accessible through. Another more recent one is not checking into any of those communication sources until later in the morning, 1-3 hours after being awake. In that sense deciding what I’m going to be about for the day, what I want to be present to and intentional with. I walk everywhere I can, and I often invite people that want to meet to walk instead of sit somewhere. There are many more, I share a few specifics that have evolved over time as I continued to listen and learn from what I hear by acting on it. In someways I feel like I have slowed down life. I’m not rushed or in a hurry, I can be present to who is in front of me. I often say “everyday is an adventure” and I believe that is so real, it really is! which makes it so alive and in the unknown, the chaos, the awesome and the awful that life brings it doesn’t mean fast paced, and consumed by the other or the next. In the listening, there is a flow that is so sweet, its rhythmic, balanced, playful and intentional, grounded in anticipation, come what may I know that I lack nothing and I have everything I need.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I work with youth and young adults in my neighborhood, creating jobs/work that allow us the opportunity to build relationships and do meaningful, community focused and creative problem solving work. That also improves our neighborhood and creates a sense of place and pride in living there and being a part of the community. I am an artist by trade but teaching artist fits more so as I love to bring out what is in each individual and help them become more and more fully who they are! This has led me to story work and pursue paths to be in formation for myself and to direct others along the way. It always comes back to a listening, again as an artist I’m seeing the world different because I’m listening with all of me, and my job isn’t to convince you what i see, its to go create and I do that with people more then paint, but paint is a great tool sometimes!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. making space to grieve and process the hard things in life, and do some kind of work around my story and how the many things i had no control of formed me into somebody that is not really me, so then i could make the brave choice of really becoming me, despite the narrative that says otherwise. 2. Having people and processes to grow and learn, you have to be intentional, it doesn’t just happen – until it does and usually its because its something tragic or intense that creates the awareness BUT WE can be intentional, so finding a community, a program, a club, a coach, a mentor, something with accountability.
3. I used to say I could rest when i was dead, then i almost died. NOW i value rest. So simply value rest —— it actually can be called play too, just find ways to be human. Human BEing.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Mine personally has been saying hard things from a place of truth and love. It seems a practice of listening and slowing down bring subtle, like shallow tides on a shore that calmly roll up and dissolve into the ground, subtle washes of wisdom and clarity on things, Phrases, processes or people that are not working well become clear and then love encourages me to share that information in a way that’s inviting or simple as a truth/observation from my real experience. Sometimes I wait to long, but the growth opportunity has been to make the turn around time shorter, i love the phrase “clear is kind” and i find that i can trust that more and more, even when its hard, the sharing and telling of it is hopeful.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SUMMITLAKEBUILDCORPS/ https://m.facebook.com/LEOFRESHART/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/302957278?ref=em-share https://youtu.be/EWSuz9laAss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA6fiULeMZY
Image Credits
Shane Wynn Michelle Hill
