The name "Upward & Inward" signifies looking within ourselves, deep into our thoughts and motivations, tethering to our values, to understand who we are, what keeps us stuck, and what drives us. Upward & Inward, it is about U&I. Through introspection and aligned action, U&I honors connection and the strength and, dare we say, joy found in collective action, change, and progress with purpose. “Upward & Inward” or U&I encapsulates our philosophy: 

• Upward: Aspiring for transformative growth and seeing the bigger picture.

• Inward: Listening to our inner wisdom and aligning with our true selves.

• Outward: Leveraging community and taking iterative action in the real world.

• Forward: Moving together towards a flourishing future through collaboration.

If you're like me, perhaps you see the big exciting vision, a full symphony, an abundant future and hold yourself of the now up against these milestones of the future. Then I remember, I'm not a time traveler. When my current reality didn't match that beautiful future vision, I caught myself thinking, "Oh shit, am I getting into a rut!?" No. It is not a rut. This is a shallow line in the sand. The gift is I see it. Rather than being pulled into the gravity of rumination, obsession, analysis paralysis, I think I'll just step over it.

With this change, I am certainly not running away from something, I am running toward something. I am running toward my own growth and our greater potential. It's absolutely true that the status quo and comfort zones have a strong gravitational pull. I had to gather courage capital and escape velocity over time. It's easy to say, "one day" and mean it, knowing the beauty of what you hold in your mind and heart. However, without ongoing deliberate action – big and small, it is just a dream that will remain unseen, and always be... "one day". No, this was not one abrupt change, but rather a lot of small shifts and longer-term, deep internal work I've been at for years below the visible surface. I was not sitting idle all this time – I was building skills, practicing, earning certifications, having conversations, laying the groundwork, gaining buy-in, and so much more. And just like that ... here we are – it's no longer "one day" it's "day one".

Why should you care about flow? We need more people to come alive to their purpose, to activate radical collaboration – to be true Impact Leaders. Flow serves as a foundational and scaffolding tool to support leaders like you and it’s a state of optimal consciousness when we perform AND feel our best. This is not hustle culture or apathy; this is a sustainable remedy. At a time when we’re bombarded with so many distractions, it's imperative to reclaim our focus, attention, and engage with purpose.

Did you know Flow is one part of a 4-step cycle?