Self-Preservation: Ticket to Ride

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Valued Connections,

There are many degrees of self-preservation. What does this really mean in everyday life? At one extreme, it’s the sharp urgency of life-or-death decisions. But more often, it’s quieter and more layered: the vital, everyday acts of protecting our peace, setting boundaries, or choosing presence over pressure.

Sometimes, self-preservation means prioritising someone else’s wellbeing, offering care so that both of you can rest in the comfort of knowing they are safe and content. And at other times, it’s turning that same care inward: recognising with compassionate clarity that a relationship, a role, addiction or a routine may no longer support your wellbeing.

This doesn’t always mean slamming the door shut, it might be gently opening another one. One that leads to kinder conversations, more nourishing work, and a respectful relationship with your own body and mind. As the saying goes: “If you don’t take care of your body, where else are you going to live?”

And let’s be honest, life rarely gives us a neat window to sort it all out, we don’t live in a vacuum. We don’t get to hit pause and say, “Wait, I need a moment to think.” Often, self-preservation means quietly navigating a world still in motion: contending with the identities we’ve collected, the coping strategies we’ve relied on, and the habits that once felt safe.

It’s not about dramatic escape. You’re not being chased by lions. It’s about daily, grounded decisions. It’s about being your own self-preservation hero, even if no one else sees the cape.

If you found yourself standing on the platform, and the 11:10 to Self-Preservation was pulling in, would you get on board? Would you hesitate? What’s holding you back?

Through the Honest to Goodness lens, these are the four R’s of Self-Preservation:

Reignite- What brings energy back into your life?  What are you quietly setting aside that actually lights you up?

Reframe- Can you see self-preservation not as selfishness, but as essential maintenance?  Not as avoidance, but as intentional clarity?

Redefine- How has your idea of resilience changed? Are there new truths or values you’re ready to honour?

Restore- What small, intentional act of kindness toward yourself could rebuild what’s been stretched thin?

Thank you for spending time here. If this resonates, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

And, watch this space! I’ll soon be sharing more details about the upcoming Compassionate Clarity Workshop, a space to pause, recalibrate, and reconnect with the choices that nurture you most.