How A New Perspective Changed My Life and Business

Ok, so some of this stuff is personal, but I feel compelled to share because even when we are most powerless we retain the power to change the way we view a situation, which can make all the difference.

My dad took his life when he was just thirty years old. I was three. Any suicide is going to have a complicated story attached to it. And this story is no different. I’ll spare all the details, but the gist is for my entire life my perception of my dad was that he was a small, defeated, depressed man.

Life got too big and messy so he made a decision to remove himself.

So yeah, it sucked.

I never got to know the guy. I didn’t have the whole picture. And the view I had mostly included sadness and depression.

Then earlier this year I met Claudia Wenning of Quantum Level Consulting. Claudia is consultant with a fantastically wonderful and unique skill set. She helps others view their lives, and their circumstances, from different perspectives.

The results often time include the identifying a new way forward. She’s a doctor of naturopathy, an herbalist, a reiki master and more. She reached out to Radiant Tribes because she needed help marketing her business. As we started that journey, I had a few personal consulting sessions with Claudia where we talked about my dad. By asking questions, and relying on her expertise, she was able to help me see my dad from a completely new point of view.

Afterward our session, I began to dig deeper into my family. I jumped on to Ancestry.com to check out the ‘ol lineage. I found roots all the way back to Ireland in the 1500’s. I called my dad’s brother and asked him questions that I’d never asked before.

I called my aunt who, back in the day, was married to another of my dad’s brothers. In fact, she found my dad as he lay dying. Outside of meeting her when I was 2 years old, I had never talked to her. We connected on Facebook and I asked if she’d be open to a phone call. She was unbelievably gracious and helped me fill in a few blanks. It had to be hard for her to relive some of those memories. But she recognized this as a time for healing for all of us. I’m grateful to you, Aunt Sue.

Long story, short. I began to view my dad in a different light. I understood more of the story. I could imagine what it must have been like to face what he had to face. And I also learned about how much he loved to have fun, the jokester, and the guy willing to do anything once.

And the woo-woo part of all this is that now, whenever I want, I can call on him for support.  With a simple breath I can feel his love and support within my heart.

The thing is that he’s always been there. I just didn’t see it. He’s not a small, broken soul. He’s big and I can feel him supporting me as I fly.

Crazy cool, right?!?!

In a recent Facebook post I dedicated the new Radiant Tribes podcast, Radiant Sessions, to him. It is my way of expressing myself, and in turn, him.

This new view of my father has opened a whole new world of support, for me, my family, and my business.

And that’s really all it took. A new perspective. A new way of looking at a situation has changed my game.

Maybe that’s what each of us are being asked to do in our own ways. I mean, the world is overwhelming when you see current events around our politics, economy, and the environment. Sometimes we feel helpless. I know I have.

But if each of us, as individuals, and as communities, can find new ways to view our current situations then we can begin to see new possibilities.

Sometimes it’s as simple as empathy, to view a situation from another person’s perspective. Because at our core, we all want the same things, don’t we? Our families, love, good food, some fun music, and a promise of a prosperous future.

This is why Claudia, and others like her that are serving as guides, as mentors, and healers are so important today. During transition times like these, she is helping others make sense of their world by teaching them how to look at the world with a fresh set of eyes. When that happens, new possibilities emerge, energies shift, and transformation occurs.

It makes total sense that Claudia is the first guest on Radiant Sessions. Listen here. She and I discuss perspective changing and the notion of self-empowerment. I hope you find the discussion, and Claudia, as compelling as I do.