Today marks the first day of the third quarter of 2022, and we are officially embarking upon the second half of the year!

The core Ellivate principle we’re focusing on this quarter is Harmonious Systems:

Harmonious Systems

You should run your business (not the other way around!). Explore where you can simplify and outsource your processes, so you can spend more time in your zone of genius and run the business with more ease and grace.

This has me reflecting on the concept of harmony: What does it mean? How do we know when we have it? What happens when it’s missing?

According to Merriam Webster, harmony is defined as:

  • A pleasing arrangement of parts : CONGRUENCE
  • AGREEMENT, ACCORD
  • internal calm : TRANQUILITY

Based on this definition, when we achieve harmony, the parts, processes and systems are in congruence with one another, producing a sense of internal calm and tranquility. This sounds delightful, doesn’t it?

Does this feel true for your business? Are all the parts, processes and systems in congruence?

For many entrepreneurs, especially those in the early stages of building a business or trying something new to level up the business, the answer is often no.

How do you know when your business’s systems are not in harmony? Well, this is usually evidenced by a lack of internal calm and tranquility – not just in the business, but in yourself.

Being out of harmony within your business (and even within yourself) feels exhausting. It drains your energy. You find yourself spending time on things you resent or just avoiding them altogether. No matter how hard you work, it never feels like enough.

If any of this resonates for you, ask yourself these questions to identify where you may be out of harmony:

  • What areas of my business drain me the most? Why?
  • What areas of my life drain me the most? Why? (Disharmony in your life impacts your business, too!)
  • What tasks or projects do I find myself putting off or resenting (in business and life)? Why?

Once you’ve honed in on a particular area, project or task that feels out of harmony, ask yourself:

  • What impact does this have on my business?
  • What impact does this have on me?
  • What might be possible for my business and my life, if I could achieve more harmony?

When you are out of harmony, you not only feel less fulfilled, you miss opportunities to expand your positive impact in the world. You rob yourself of the joy that’s possible through creating an impactful, conscious business.

One last question for you: What’s one small step you will take today to achieve more harmony in your business or life?

Remember, big change happens through small, consistent steps. I know you can do this.

With deep love and gratitude,

Sarah signature

As women leaders, we have a responsibility to play a meaningful role in creating a more just world.

Each month, we’ll explore how we can integrate more conscious practices into our businesses and lives.

Be aware of this:

Speaking of harmonious systems…we live in a world full of systems that are not in harmony – systems of oppression that grant power to one group(s) at the expense of another(s). Even those who wield the power in a disharmonious system are hurt. Until we create meaningful change, no one is truly free.

Patriarchy is a system of oppression that we have all been living within for millennia. It harms all of us, including men. This system runs so deep within us individually and collectively that we can’t even see or feel it in our day to day lives.

Listen to this:

Listen to this episode of Glennon Doyle’s podcast, We Can Do Hard Things, where she interviews ALOK, an internationally acclaimed writer, performer, and public speaker: What Makes Us Beautiful? What Makes Us Free? (1 hour, 5 minutes). They show us “not just how it’s possible to break free of gender binaries, but how it’s possible to break free from every socially constructed binary that does not allow us to live out our full humanity.”

Try this:

Reflect deeply on ALOK’s words, and let them help you better understand yourself. How do the social constructs of patriarchy and the gender binary show up in your own beliefs and behaviors? How are these social constructs holding you back? What’s one thing you could do to break free of a belief that’s holding you prisoner?