Year of Yes – October Recap

If you’re new here, my OneWord for 2020 is YES. In the interest of staying accountable to my year of YES, I am providing a monthly recap of how I am doing. Click here to see all the posts. 

I thought September went by quickly, but October seemed to be over before it fully began. Recovery from my surgery continued with a minor setback in the timeline for when I’ll be back on my feet. Despite that fact, October presented several opportunities for me to lean into my year of YES. Here are all the things I said yes to in October:

Leading Virtual Trainings

A local non-profit invited me to share with their families on boundaries. A leader in the coaching industry had me teach students in her coach training program on how to minimize harm to BIPOC in their work. And I started facilitating two 10-session antiracism groups.  

October saw me return to my love of teaching and facilitating, albeit in a virtual environment. On the one hand, the energy of a virtual space is different than in-person and I definitely prefer in-person. On the other though, the fact they were virtual allowed me to use my gifts even as my recovery continued.

Outrageous October

I’m in a group program with other Black coaches. The coaching industry is notoriously lacking in Black and brown faces. I have often been the only Black person when participating in events with other coaches. It has been a soul nourishing experience to sit every week in a room full of coaches who look like me.

Our leader pushed us to take our practices/businesses to the next level by making outrageous requests during October. The goal was to get as many no’s as possible. This practice is meant to help us learn to ask for what we want even if we hear a no. He says it builds resilience and resilience is needed to grow a successful business (I KNOW this to be true 😊).

I will admit that while I did participate in Outrageous October and made a few asks, I didn’t risk as much as I could have. Hearing all those no’s freaked me out a bit as I don’t like feeling rejected. BUT I think I’ll try it again, maybe in the New Year. Learning to receive no’s is a good practice for me and I may make Outrageous October an annual thing I do.

Storybook Project

At the end of the month, someone reached out to me and asked me to share my story in a book she is putting out later this year.

The Storybook Project will be an anthology of stories by authors sharing moments they chose themselves even when the stakes were high. Each person will share about a time when she “courageously followed her intuition and knowing, listened to that small voice inside of her, and broke free from what she’d always done, what she’d been told she “should” do or who she “should” be.”

I’m excited to be a part of this project. It’s the first of several unexpected opportunities to share my story that has come my way (November’s recap will have more on this topic). I look forward to sharing it with you later this year.

Earth Sea Love Podcast

Technically I said Yes to this back in June. But my interview on the Earth Sea Love podcast was released into the world in October.

Listening to it again brought back fond memories of my conversation with Sheree. It was fun to revisit the story of my relationship with nature. My convalescence has meant I can’t get out into nature as much as I want to, and I have missed it. I can’t wait to be fully recovered so I can get back out there. Check out the episode on her website, Apple Podcast, or Spotify.

As we get closer to the end of 2020, I find myself eagerly anticipating writing my annual recap. It is an understatement to say this year of yes has not gone as I expected. Yet, month after month, I have been surprised and delighted by the opportunities that came my way even while being mostly at home.

Now it’s your turn, how was your October? Tell me in the comments or you can email me at makeda(at)makedapennycooke(dot)com.

Stay safe and healthy.

From my heart to yours,