Kirsten Clacey

It’s been a while since I wrote something for my newsletter. Those close to me will know that I lost my Dad this year. It’s been a year of grief and loss, but also a year of connection and hope. I’m writing to share with you where I’ve been and an exciting new project…

Grief dares us to love once more

It is the broken heart that can let slip into its core the shimmer of a salmon gliding just under the surface of the water, the startling arc of the swift, the wonder of Mozart, and the sheer beauty of sunrise.

The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller and Michael Lerner

A terminal diagnosis last year led to a heartbreaking journey that we had the honour of walking with my Dad. He was one of the greatest men I have ever and will ever meet. Both his presence and absence have changed my life.

Love is the motivation that enables us to move toward fear—not in order to conquer it, but in order to include it so that we might learn from it.

The Five Invitations by Frank Ostaseski

Grief and loss are profoundly personal. My journey has only begun. For those who are navigating these deep waters:

• The Wild Edge of Sorrow and The Five Invitations are books in which I continue to find comfort and wisdom.
• Create rituals. Whether it’s a way of honouring that person/animal/situation or a ritual for comforting yourself, rituals offer containment and release.
• Let go of the shoulds. There is no way you should be feeling or thing you should be doing. When you’re happy – allow yourself to be happy. And when you’re sad – allow yourself that grace. This won’t hasten the process but it will allow you to be present to it.

And on to something totally new

This last year has been full of mixed emotions and experiences. Alongside my grief, I have had the joy of co-creating L&C with Akshay Kapur. Today I’m ready to share it with you and invite you into the conversation.

L&C is a conversation about what’s possible when we shift from content to connecting, from knowledge to knowing, and from structure to attuning. We’ve been co-creating Automattic‘s L&C (aka L&D) division from this place. We haven’t yet encountered L&D resources that match our context and beliefs and so we’re creating our own!

We believe that this work is relevant not just for HR folks, but also for leaders, coaches, and facilitators.

So if you’re looking for something different, something more, maybe something you can’t quite articulate – then I invite you to meet us at L&C, because so are we. 

Fully experience the waiting room

Everything is optional

Who you are is what you see

Conversations at L&C

With love,

Kirsten