About Denise Sutter:
With years of experience creating strategy and directing learning and development teams, Denise holds a strong and successful professional history in effectively communicating the design and vision of corporate values through training services. She’s also a nutrition & wellness coach. Her certifications include Associate Certified Coach, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Zodiak, Paradigm Learning & Metabolic Balance Coach Practitioner. Denise works on integrating technologies to create and launch large scale training and leadership development programs, promoting process improvements and leading internal change.
Intro
Welcome everyone, thank you for joining me today.
I’d like to start off with what brought this topic together for me, this really was a reflection of my own path. I always struggled with making decisions about what I wanted to do, what I should do with my life, if it was being asked what I want to be when I grow up or choosing my majors in college.
At some point I realized I didn’t have to write the whole book, I only had to write one chapter. That’s all. And it could be a short chapter, a long chapter. It’s my chapter, because it’s my book. So today we’re gonna talk about writing your next chapter.
Five elements to help write your chapter:
1. Focusing on Self Care
The first piece is about focusing on self care– set yourself in the place of most potential receiving, and then self care. All of these are the parts that are going to help you to write your next chapter. When you think about self care, this is the key, it’s in your roots, it’s critical. Oftentimes self care is the one thing that gets sacrificed when life gets busy. It’s important to make it a focus to not sacrifice your own self care. Because self care is something that you’re doing for you. Which means outside influences have nothing to do with it. It can take many forms such as: eating healthy foods, physical activity, spiritual nourishment, meditation, hiking, photography, live music, massage, baths, prayer, writing and quality time with kindred spirits.
Each person has a very unique definition of self care. So self care is your foundation. That’s the roots of your tree. And so the one thing for you to consider, as you think about writing your next chapter is, is there anything that is blocking your self care from being practiced? Life gets in the way things happen, right? And that’s going to happen. So it’s not going to be 100% all the time. But if there are things that are preventing you from practicing your self care on a regular basis, before you go on this journey of writing the chapter, make sure that you’re looking at how you remove some of those roadblocks. Self care is first and primary.
2. Gaining Clarity
The second piece is gaining clarity – I kind of chuckle at the word clarity.
What I find really fascinating about this is sometimes you know by surprise, and it’s really about making sure you’re open to what’s in front of you. One day I had my moment of clarity, where I was standing in front of a room, it was a conference, I was speaking and I had no notes but I felt at home. I couldn’t have planned that moment. But because I was in a place where I was open to receiving, and I was open to being in that moment, I got a moment of clarity and then it was up to me to act upon that. So I want you to think about who you are now.
A lot of times when we define ourselves we define ourselves because of the people around us or because of the external environments around us. These questions can help guide your thoughts on what brings you joy: What brings a light within you? What fulfills you so that when you do something, you do it and you enjoy it so much you want to do it again and again, because it gives you that fulfillment?
3. Setting a vision
The third piece is about learning who you are- To get that point of clarity, the next piece of it is really about having a vision. You can have a longer vision, or you can have a shorter version.
To gain that vision, here are some things for you to reflect on, in this section:
What have you always wanted to do?
If it’s crafting, an experience, traveling somewhere, etc. So if now you do what you always wanted to do, what is it? What do you bring to the table? If you’re somebody who really is very compassionate, that is a quality you bring to the table, if you’re somebody who listens really strongly and really deeply, that’s a quality you bring to the table, if you’re really empathetic, that’s a quality you bring to the table.
So what are the things that you bring to the table?
Now, the big question is what’s keeping you from doing what you’ve always wanted to do now?
When you release the barriers, when you work around the barriers, when you call the overtop of the barriers it’s amazing what gets uncovered and what is actually truly possible.
To learn about the meaning of purpose and unlock yours, click here.
4. Most potential
Okay, so now, if you do a little more work, that’s the most potential. Each step gets you closer, and each step is a place of most potential in that moment.
When you think about putting yourself in the place of most potential, one of the phrases I’ve learned is “how can you train your technique?” So how do you practice? How do you train your skill? Some of the things we talked about in terms of the things that we define as being self care? How do we practice healthy food? How do we practice physical activity? How do we practice meditation? Etc. So how do we train that technique to make sure that self care is still continuing every day? The next question is, who’s in your tribe?
I relate very closely to this because I went through a period where I was laid off for a lot longer than I thought I was going to be laid off. And it was the people around me that I recognized at that time, like, “Oh, this is my tribe, because these are the folks that are closest to me and stay closest to me. We have similar thought processes, but not the same. We complemented each other. We fed off each other, and we supported each other all along the way.” So, who is in your tribe that you can rely on?
5. Visibility Opportunities
What visibility opportunities do you have? This part is about getting yourself out there, it’s about getting your brand out there, whatever that brand is. Getting your personality out there, letting people know you’re here, and putting yourself back into that place of most potential.
So that place has the most potential, it may not be comfortable, maybe it’s a little awkward in the beginning, right? That’s a visibility opportunity for you to be seen in that space, whether that’s with a person, or without people, but you’re visible in the environment. So now, what are your development opportunities? What do you want to learn? What is something you could learn that would give that place of most potential even more potential?
I learned a lot just by watching people, paying attention to what’s going on. If you’ve ever kind of sat in a garden and watched people as they’re passing through. It’s really intriguing, you get a new perspective on things.
Receiving
Our comfort zone is a place of effortless flow. Where we don’t have to work hard, we don’t have to be super courageous, we just rest and be, and this is where the most potential lies that typically wouldn’t be when we worked against where the resistance is where we have. When we feel comfortable, when we feel like we have our footing. We can be more truly ourselves.
When we have confidence, when we have faith in ourselves, we can be even more successful.
We all have these gold coins that are right in front of us, and sometimes we don’t see them because we’re too busy, because we’re distracted, because we just don’t see them. Sometimes the gift isn’t in the right packaging. It might not look the way you thought it was going to look. It’s not what you envisioned. But it’s still a gift.
So when you think about receiving, it’s important to pause first when something’s in front of you. If you’re curious about it, ask yourself the question, “is this an opportunity? Yes or No? Or maybe?” Perhaps it’s an opportunity.
Then the next question is, will this lead to something else? Oftentimes, when we are so focused on looking for a specific thing, we can’t see what else is around us. And sometimes that one thing, that vision that we have, how to get to it might take multiple steps.
The Rolling Stones, they have a song, “you can’t always get what you want. But you get what you need.” That song is always in my mind. Because it’s true.
So, we have, self care, clarity, vision, putting yourself in the place of most potential, experiencing visibility opportunities and then being able to receive.
With all of these parts and pieces, all these elements, these five elements that allow you to transform every year, every day. That allows you to write another chapter anytime you want. As you kind of go along this journey of life.
This is your story.
This is your book.
FAQ’s: Writing Your Next Chapter with Denise Sutter
What should I do if I encounter barriers while writing my next chapter?
Barriers are a natural part of any journey. Identify what’s blocking your progress and strategize ways to overcome or work around these obstacles. It’s important to remain adaptable and resilient, understanding that setbacks can offer valuable lessons and growth opportunities.
What is the main concept behind Denise Sutter’s guide?
Denise Sutter’s guide focuses on writing your next chapter in life. It emphasizes self-care, gaining clarity, setting a vision, identifying potential, and embracing visibility opportunities to achieve personal and professional growth.
Why is self-care important in writing your next chapter?
Self-care is crucial because it forms the foundation of your well-being. Without prioritizing your physical, emotional, and mental health, it becomes challenging to pursue new goals or face life’s challenges. Self-care helps you stay grounded and energized, enabling you to navigate your path effectively.
Where can I learn more about Denise Sutter’s teachings?
You can learn more about Denise Sutter’s teachings by watching the full replay of “Rewriting Your Next Chapter” hosted by Guidely alongside Denise Sutter. Visit Guidely.com for more information.
How can I gain clarity on what I want in my next chapter?
Gaining clarity involves introspection and being open to new experiences. Reflect on what brings you joy and fulfillment. Ask yourself questions like: What activities make you feel alive? What are your core values? Sometimes, clarity comes unexpectedly, so stay open and receptive to moments of insight.
