La Vie Vitale
In pursuit of the essential, energizing and life-affirming.
On the cusp of each new year, it has become my tradition to choose a word that will guide me in the year to come. These words tend to come to me subconsciously, as though from a deep-seated inner knowing that anticipates what will serve me best for the road ahead. Last year’s word was Release. Little could I have anticipated how apt that word would be for what 2025 brought to my life – or shall I say, allowed me to let go of.
It started with me releasing my mother to the next world. And naturally following that, releasing my tether to my childhood home, which had been my spiritual home since I was 5. Something in me broke open then. With those two anchors now gone, my spirit seemed to be yearning for release from other elements that no longer felt nourishing. So I released myself from a life in The Netherlands that was long past its shelf life, and with it the security of a loving-but-no-longer-growth-enhancing relationship with my partner of 4 years. I released my worldly possessions to the safety of a storage unit, and liberated my calendar for an unknown period of exploring where my soul next wanted to nest. Many of you have been along for the ride as I’ve posted about these explorations, which have taken me to France, then Portugal, and now back to France. I counted yesterday how many beds I slept in over the course of 2025: 60! The same number of years I turned in July. And THAT was an opportunity to release myself from a) gravity (I jumped off a cliff and soared in a paraglider over the majestic mountainscape of Annecy, France to mark the occasion), and b) 6 decades of minimizing my own needs and desires while prioritizing those of others.
As 2025 began to wind down, my musings turned to the magnitude – and relief! - of all I had released, and the looming opportunity to begin again, with optimism and intention. At the same time, I realized how exhaustion had seeped into my bones – no surprise, given that my explorations involved lots of movement with several heavy-ass bags and no chance to establish a regular routine that would allow my system to settle for a spell, let alone actually unpack my bags. The result: sheer depletion by the time Christmas rolled around.
Which probably explains how the word for 2026 began formulating in my psyche. After a year of releasing and wandering, my deepest cravings are to identify a spot for my next nest, to begin feathering said nest with the essentials, to unpack those heavy-ass bags and put their contents in their new home, to establish daily activities and practices that bring me joy and fulfilment, and to regain my mojo, my ‘vitalité!’ All of that so I can continue to pursue my core passion: supporting adventurous souls as they explore new possibilities for themselves.
The word that encapsulates all this? Vital!
Vital as in essential. Vital as in energizing. Vital as in life-affirming.
I aim to focus on what’s vital to my continued growth, what will support me in feeling vital in the day-to-day, and what will help me contribute to the vitality of my clients, community and the earth. I am confident that France, with its less-is-more attitude, appreciation of beauty and the pleasures of the senses, and abundance of life-giving nature will be a country where I can a) find my next nest, and b) pursue La Vie Vitale.
I’m in France now and already feeling the stirrings of vitality. Stay tuned for more tales from this sidecar, which I am confident will find a resting spot in the not-too-distant future.
Meanwhile, lots of good (and vital!) offerings just around the corner for Sidecar Counsel, which continue no matter where I find myself, and which are designed to support the vital aspects of women in leadership.
· Three Summits in Three months: Cambodia (late January), Ghana (late March), Spain (mid-April). Spots still available for Spain! Check it out and register here.
· New season of Sidecar Rally. Learn about this season’s theme and register your availability here by January 16. Rallies start first week in February.
· Sidecar Explore, Take Two: The pilot version of this offering brought five intrepid explorers to new vista points, from where they are pursuing exciting new possibilities for their lives. Come join the next cohort of explorers to imagine, then take bold steps towards, new visions for your life’s path. Learn more and register here by Feb. 2.
· A *new* offering: Menopause-Informed Leadership: A 4-month co-learning experience for leaders eager to understand and manage through menopause. This is a pilot program, with a cap of 12 participants. First 6 to register get a price break. Find out more; register here by February 2.
· And, of course, 1:1 coaching for job seekers, adventurous leaders, and ‘new horizons’ explorers. Learn more and contact me here.
Yours in pursuit of la vie vitale, in whatever way that may manifest.
On your side,
Bridget
