The Power of Water

Lakes, oceans, calmness, and clarity

Hey, it’s Alexandra. Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I share my latest reflections on professional development and well-being.

If you’re not a subscriber, here’s what you missed recently:

• Keep Climbing

• Orange Business

• Make Things Beautiful

Subscribe to get future posts emailed to you:

This week, I share the benefits of viewing water outdoors, including how it’s helped me:

• Transition from employee to self-employed

• Transition back to an employee as a changed woman

• Take stock of two “magic beans” for growth

 ☕️ Read time: All bets are off considering I’ve shared a curation of posts (but as usual, I recommend tea or coffee)

Golden hour

---

Fresh from a few days by the lake in the Laurentians, just outside of Montreal, I can confirm this to be true:

“After just two minutes of viewing water outdoors, blood pressure and heart rate drop.”

—Adam Grant

I feel at peace from the moment I take my coffee down to the dock to bask in the sun, scenery, and silence of the morning and all throughout the day as family and friends gather to swim, tan, boat, and hang out.

Later, as everyone readies themselves for dinner I return to the dock even if only for a moment to take in the golden hues that remind me of the marshmallows my cousins and I used to roast as kids.

Wide bodies of water are said to bring you the most tranquillity and I concur given lakes and oceans have played a pivotal role in my decision-making process over the years.

Three recent examples spring to mind.

Three examples

Here’s how spending time waterside instilled a sense of calm and clarity I needed to take stock of my life (and make BIG changes) at various points in the last few years:

1. I quit my job to pursue solopreneurship

After a long overdue vacation in 2021, I suprised myself by quitting my job. It turned out Vitamin Sea was what I needed to get in touch with what I wanted deep down. Read more in the post linked below:

2. I quit solopreneurship

Last summer was a rough one for me. I was lost in my solopreneur journey and my gut feelings about what to do next shifted as I alternated between the city and the country. Eventually, once I decided what to do I devised a “lake litmus test” to validate my decision. Read more in the post linked below:

3. I got clarity on how to catapult my growth

2022 was one of my best-ever years professionally—and personally, considering I welcomed my first nephew. In reflecting on both following an end-of-year lake visit, I wrote about how I catapulted my growth and why I encourage you to do the same. Read more in the post linked below:

I hope whatever your summer looks like, you manage to spend time waterside. You’re guaranteed to feel more calm and clear on what’s next.

In the meantime, here’s one more shot to tide you over (pun fully intended):

Thanks for reading and have a wonder-full week,

Alexandra