10 Truths from Infusing Writing in My Life

Reflections on what led to starting my Substack and what I’ve learned integrating writing in my life

Welcome! I’m Rachael Gaibel, a career, life + wellbeing coach, consultant and content strategist/writer. Find Possibility is a monthly newsletter focused on: finding possibilities to create change that matters to you, personal growth, wellbeing, creative expression, and more. If it resonates, please share with others.

First, check out more information on my free workshop at the end: Connect to your Inner Wisdom.

In March, I realized I had launched my Substack a year ago. I acknowledged this milestone to myself with a moment of gratitude and hadn’t planned anything further.

But, after reading two others’ moving posts celebrating their newsletter anniversaries, I realized: I want to celebrate this milestone in a post too!

I’ll explore what led to this milestone and what coming back to writing has meant to me. And, I want to thank you all immensely for being readers.

Three points in time that led to starting this newsletter:

1. How my Substack title Find Possibility came to be

In the fall of 2021, one of the first pieces I wrote about leaving my corporate job without a career plan, was How to Find Possibility. This story was about “how I came to find the possibilities seeking to find me.”

My Substack was named Find Possibility after this article. Both because it was the start of my own path post corporate career and because I see similar themes with coaching clients. Fittingly, the story begins with me not seeing what could be possible for myself.

Find Possibility is about longing to create change that matters. It’s both about discovering what could be possible and the journey once we open to possibilities.

Even if we don’t sense possibilities at first, the hidden beauty is what’s possible is there all along. When we connect to ourselves more deeply. When we are curious and open. Then, we can see the possibilities trying to get our attention. Then, we can design what’s next in greater alignment. Then, we can make the changes most important to us in honor of our dreams and goals.

Find Possibility is meant to be a symbiotic relationship. As you seek possibilities, you also discover and receive the possibilities seeking you.

2. Returning to Writing

In January 2022, I wrote The 8 Signs Calling Me to Write after completing my first live writing course in over a decade.

In the piece, I described a “pained longing” about writing. I believe now my longing to write felt stuck. Contracted. Blocked. I described the pain as armor around my heart. My writing so desired to break free—the act of writing and to ultimately share my voice through writing.

My biggest insight from the course: I would no longer wait to write. Writing could become a part of how I lived my life going forward. It felt like a revelation. For years prior, I said I would write when I had more time.

To be clear, when I made this commitment, I did not feel as if I had “extra” time. My daughter was a toddler, and the pandemic was still very much impacting our lives. The shift was that I would choose to incorporate what was meaningful in my life regularly. Though it wasn’t easy and there was less time for other things, I found a way to infuse writing into my life. And, I kept doing it.

3. The writing I deeply desired to share began to flow in its right time

In the first half of 2023, I attempted to write two different pieces many, many times but felt blocked. Stuck. Afraid. Each of these stories were about what I learned from past challenges and painful experiences. The thought of sharing vulnerable writing viscerally terrified me.

While writing, fear and my inner-critic kept attempting to be in the lead. Not the best writing companions. I was also going through an experience of heavy grief.

I ended up setting the writing for these pieces aside. Instead, I focused on structured journaling to help me uncover my voice. My truth. My story.

Months after first starting to write these two stories, I came back to them. One right after the other, they flowed in the fall of 2023.

These two pieces would ultimately jumpstart consistently sharing my writing:

• The first, How I started Living a Life True to Myself was the post to launch my Substack in March 2024.

• The second, How I Found the Good within the Difficult, was published in Tiny Buddha in May 2024.

10 truths I’ve learned from infusing writing in my life:

1. Listening to the call to write has been central to me coming back home to myself and what makes me feel alive. My life is so much richer and more meaning-filled when my creativity is imbedded in my life. And, surprisingly, it was the gateway to open up new possibilities for my career and life.

2. I aspire to write first for myself and for the love of it as part of my creative self-expression (though at times that doesn’t happen). And, I have felt called to share my writing and connect with others through writing. When I feel pressured to produce personal writing or lose sight of my why, it does not result in my best work.

3. I needed to go through an unearthing process to write in a way that feels true to me. To get unblocked. To come out of hiding. I no longer feel a pained longing about writing. I am experiencing elements of what I yearned for; but it’s not all bliss, see #4 below.

4. Sharing aspects of my story through writing has at times been a vulnerable and courageous act. It can feel both uncomfortable and exciting to be visible in this way. I am learning to make space for the whole of my experience. Having tools and support to work with blocks (i.e. fear and self-doubt) is still very much needed.

5. I must do my own processing, journaling, and healing first from past challenges and painful experiences before I write about them for the purpose of publishing pieces. Only then will the writing to share with others flow.

6. It is a big deal to me I’ve been posting consistently, based on an (approximately) monthly cadence that works for me. The backstory: I started this newsletter while in the middle of my coaching certification program; I honestly didn’t know if I’d be able to remain consistent during the program. But I did. I am proud of myself. This is one reason I decided to celebrate in this post!

7. The writers and story tellers who came before me with authenticity and heart paved the way for me to share my writing. I continue to learn from and be inspired by others’ stories.

8. What matters is being on the journey to live my dream of writing. I experience what lights me up frequently. I don’t need to get to a final destination. It has also taken me time and practice to love the whole of the writing process for each individual piece, even the messy parts.

9. The importance of creative discernment. Where are my ideas coming from? Are they coming from my safety instinct or ego? Or are they coming from a deeper, wiser part of me that feels called to bring an idea forth?

10. Finally, everything culminates with: being connected to and listening to my inner wisdom, truth, heart and creativity is where the treasures of my creative self-expression lie.

I hope you know prioritizing your own creative outlets matters in your life. Whether it’s writing and/or something else, explore what makes you feel alive. Connect to it. Infuse it in your life now. Your life will feel fuller, more enlivening. It may even lead to your right next steps for seemingly unrelated areas.

Thank you: Deep gratitude for being here. For reading this newsletter. For positively influencing me. For being connected. For expressing how my writing has impacted you.

And, thank you for taking a few minutes to read my reflection and celebrate with me!

I would love to hear from you: what’s something that has resonated about one of my posts?

Photo credit: Danuta Niemiec

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Free Workshop: Connect to your Inner Wisdom

I am hosting a Virtual One Hour Workshop on Wednesday, June 11th

12-1pm PT/ 1-2pm MT/ 2-3pm CT/ 3-4pm ET

Where do you turn for guidance when wanting to make a change? Do you tend to look internally or externally?

Without realizing it, many of us, especially women, tend to look for answers outside ourselves.

However, if we want to make changes that align with what we truly want for our lives and careers, we must learn how to become grounded in our own wisdom. This acts to counter-balance external guidance we already look for and receive.

In this one-hour free virtual workshop, you’ll be guided in a visualization to connect more deeply with your own inner answers and truth and learn how you can access your inner wisdom more consistently. It is inspired by Tara Mohr's Inner Mentor visualization from the Playing Big book, in which I am trained.

This virtual workshop will be offered live only. Sign up here to receive the workshop details!