"Dear loved ones, .... " - a reflection on the spaces we create by Eirini Rapti

I turned 40.

Pivotal year? No idea. 
Cannot foresee the future. 
But I can reflect on the past.

And I went through my 30s on speed, friends. 
Definitely on speed!

I embarked on my 30s thinking that I would slow down. Settling for a life in the tropics, married and as an expat I was looking forward to a warmer, slower, and expanding life.

And I quickly turned it all around.

I moved to the cold and wet Berlin, I started a company, saw my savings disappear. I hired well and hired also very badly. I partnered with some kick-ass individuals and some of the same without the kick. I slept little, worked a lot, partied even less than little. I learned more than I could process at every single moment.

And then, I became a mother, stretching my physical and mental health to limits I never thought possible.

I navigated my 30s on my 2 feet, on the go, exploring worlds and spaces in movement, in action.

And then, just a few months before I turned 40, I turned up at the BRAFE SPACE event.

I brought my “still in my 30s” self to a 2-day workshop in the cold German countryside with almost no expectations. And I found myself in a space to discuss power.

Who has power over me at work, in society, in my life? Who do I have power over? My colleagues, my son, my partner, my investors, my customers? Navigating tough discussions not only on a metaphorical way but also in a physical way.

I was blown away. 🤯

I was experiencing the space around me in a completely new way. The spaces I occupy, the ones I want to enter, the ones I am scared of and the effect I have on others.
 
I battled through a sea of emotions, realizations, and perceptions in such an intimate and safe way.

And since then, being part of the Brafe community, be it at the monthly Brafe Tuesday or my monthly circle, I return to that space of connecting with myself and the others around me.

Whenever I walk into a Brafe event, I feel my heart rate slowing down, my voice deepening, my body opening up and my sensing connecting. I feel safe.

And I want to live in that land, in that space more!

I cannot hold that safety all the time. I realized it just last week. On an investor call where I was told; “Oh sorry I only have 10 minutes”…and my whole body went up up up. Heart rate up, stomach ready for fight, alert. Be fast, accurate, go go go. Speed! I hung up and realised it. This is not the space I want to live - why would I?

How amazing would the world be if I could interact mostly from that safety? Starting every email with ‘dear loved ones’ and closing it with ‘much love’.

I don’t know if BRAFE SPACE is taking more members. But what I know is that the world is a better place because it exists. And I want to use my voice to amplify it.

This is why today, I wanted to celebrate Brafe Space as my best early birthday gift. Here is to my 40s, spending more time being in and creating safe places so being brave becomes so easy.

Much love 🧡