By: Christina Farrell Lerchen, Camper
“Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you” – Misty Copeland
My first experience with Campowerment was more than 2 years ago. I was in the midst of major frazzled out spiral when I stumbled upon an article about Tammi Leader Fuller and Campowerment. I remember sitting on the couch, reading about the camp and feeling within my gut that this was something I HAD to do.
At the time, I had been trying to deal with years of fertility struggles and job frustrations. The pinnacle came when my best friend of 27 years was diagnosed with terminal metastatic breast cancer. I felt that the world was bashing down on my shoulders.
Camp was two weeks away, and I signed up that day. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I needed to re-connect myself so that I could start my journey of being my best friends support during her final years. I needed to gain the strength to move forward toward the grief that I knew was inevitable.
Those 4 days at camp changed me and put me on a path toward healing, and finding my courage to shed the aspects of my life that were knocking me to the ground.
How do I know? I discovered the power of what a supportive community of women can do.
I was embraced by phenomenal women, friends, and mentors who gave me the tools and resources I needed to move forward. To find ME. I gave myself permission to grow, even when facing the most painful time of my life.
There is something powerful about honoring yourself with private time, allowing yourself to laugh, and learning from workshops meant to inspire you. You will be amazed at the power of sharing your fears, dreams, and struggles with other women. It is as if every woman at camp shouts a silent cheer of “thank god someone else gets it!” You can feel it in the air. You see the breakthroughs next to you, and revel in your own moments of clarity.
My clarity came through the Workshops that challenged me to think about “Maybe It’s You!” when you are struggling with communication or connection. Marnie challenged us to take responsibility for our lives and our actions (guess what, IT IS YOU! And that is a freeing realization…thanks, Handel Group!). Group Circles with Tama that encouraged you to find your calling, and stop beating your head against a job or profession you no longer were aligned with. Grandy encouraged us to heal our heart with journaling classes. I got to test my courage and take a leap down the zip-line while releasing any limiting beliefs I had about myself. I found a way to relax with vision boards, and reconnect to my creativity.
My husband Mike was more excited for me than anyone, and said he saw a spark in my eyes when I got home from camp. He saw the change. I felt the shift. Camp prepared me to be there for my best friend in her final months, to face uncertainty without fear and to give myself permission to find grace in the midst of my grief.
Those experiences stayed with me after Nikki passed away. I continued to circle back to the lessons I learned, and found support with the beautiful tribe of women that I now call my camp sisters. The support and encouragement was unwavering and made me realize how dynamic a community of women reinforcing each others dreams and loving each other through life’s struggles can be. Because of these lessons, I was able to sell my first company with the help of camp Expert Dawn Andrews, who connected me to a fellow entrepreneur looking for a career change as well.
I have taken my journey with grief, and my experience with camp to create a new path for myself. I created an online community for women trying to navigate grief, illness, overwhelm or life’s unexpected moments. Because I saw the potential for healing when a community of women show up and embrace each other. I was healed at Camp. I learned to face the darkness, while still finding gratitude for the light in my life. And above all, I found myself again.
With love,
Christina
Founder, thebestunexpected.com
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P.S.
Christina made this swanky printable to remind you of the little message that reminds thousands of women that the choice is there, and the choice is theirs. Is it time to #ReigniteYourLife? Manifest it, girlfriend…then take the first big step towards making it happen here.