Now What?

Emotional wellness is a life-long journey. Some of us were taught to tend to our wellness at a young age. But for many of us, we began this journey out of necessity.   

We experienced loss, we faced a challenging circumstance, or the stress and demand of daily life stacked so high we felt like we would topple over. So, we were catapulted into action. We became motivated to change course. To do that, we had to look back on how we found ourselves here and begin to make changes in the present. 

But like any good adventure spurred by an inciting incident, once the initial activity finds resolve and we reach a moment of calm, there comes a moment in which you ask: Now what?   

You’re no longer triaging. You’ve moved beyond reactionary responses and feel a bit more sure-footed. You’ve reached a space where you can finally catch your breath. It’s time to turn your focus somewhere else.   

You may have found yourself in a similar place if you’re an Onsite alum. You’ve done the hard (but worth it) work of unearthing your past to heal and find hope for a more peaceful present. You’ve explored the patterns at play in your family of origin, become acquainted with your inner child, and implemented 2-degree shifts. You’ve reckoned with who we’ve been and how you’ve survived hurtful life experiences.

So, now what?

We all deserve more than just surviving in our present. We deserve to thrive in our present, and when we make sense of where we’ve been, we clear a path for the life we want to live.   

Whether you’re 25 or 75, the days and years we have left are meant to be lived. We can live content, hopeful, purpose-filled lives. We can acknowledge what got us here while embracing who we are now and the life we want to live moving forward.    

For many of us, imagining a new future can feel more daunting than looking into the darkest and most challenging parts of our past and present. Hope can feel dangerous, elusive, and risky. It can feel paralyzing in a new, unexpected way when our past no longer dictates our present, and the future is wide open in front of us. Looking in the rearview mirror is sometimes more comfortable than out the windshield at the great unknown.   

There’s a reason our windshields are larger than our rearview mirrors. There are far greater things ahead than behind. Our “work” is never done. We never arrive. There is always more available to us. More healing, more insight, and more growth is waiting for us.  

If you’re an Onsite alum asking, “Now what?” as you face the unknown ahead and wonder how to design the life you want to live, we want to help you find the support you need to begin this new level of healing and discovery. 

Eight Questions to Ask Yourself to Assess Where You Are: 

• On a scale of 1-10 how connected do you feel to yourself? How connected do you feel to others in your life?  
• On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health?   
• On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your support system? (Family, friends, professional support, 12-step communities, work, etc.)  
• On a scale of 1-10 how hopeful do you feel about your future? 
• On a scale of 1-10, how connected to passion and purpose are you in your life?  
• What are my core values? On a scale of 1-10 how much do I feel that I’m living out my values?  
• What parts of my life rhythm feel like they’re working well? What parts feel like a challenge? 
• What is my largest source of fear in this season? What is my largest source of joy? 

Eight Questions to Ask Yourself to Assess Where You Want to Be:

• When you imagine your favorite version of yourself, what words would you use to describe them?   
• On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the farthest and 10 being the closest), how far do you feel from that version of yourself?  
• What areas of your life feel like they need more attention or healing?  
• When was the last time you took intentional time to work on yourself?  
• What is one thing that your present self could do to care for your future self?  
• What small step could you take to move toward aligning your life with your passions, purpose, and values?  
• If you could wave a magic wand and immediately eradicate your biggest pain point, how would your life look differently? How can you work toward solving that problem? 
• What do you want? What do you need? How are those two things different?  
  

Related: How to Become Your Favorite Version of Yourself in the New Year  

Three Next Steps to Consider 

1. Try a new healing modality: Sometimes, we need to shake things up and come at things from a different angle. Are you in weekly talk therapy? Consider looking into experiential therapy. Or perhaps you want to try acupuncture, EMDR, or equine therapy. Let yourself explore new options that might help widen your lens of healing.  

2. Find additional support: Do you feel like you could benefit from an outside perspective? Consider finding a coach, mentor, recovery community, or just a trusted friend for added accountability as you pursue what’s next.  

3. Take a break: You can’t do it all. Give yourself permission to rest and reset instead of pushing through. BONUS: Take a technology break. Log-off, unplug, and let yourself breathe.  

Here are Three Ways to Continue Your Healing with Onsite. 

1. Join us at a virtual or in-person alum event 
   
   From monthly virtual check-ins to quarterly book clubs to in-person gatherings in Nashville and beyond, we consistently host events to offer support and build community with our alum.
   
   To stay up-to-date on all our alum happenings online and around the world, visit our events page. Don’t see an event that works with your schedule? Bookmark this page and come back soon to check out our monthly updates.    

2. Engage in our digital alum course and community 
   
   This free offering contains a curated collection of digital resources to help you reenter, recenter, and reconnect. It is practical, convenient, and designed to meet you right where you are.   
   
   If you did not receive access to the alum course via email upon finishing your workshop (or you’ve finished a program before 2023), email alum@experienceonsite.com, and we’ll get you in!  
   
   In addition to the course, we’ve curated a secure online environment for you to connect and learn alongside people who have shared an Onsite experience. You can join the community here.  
   
   
3. Attend The Experience—a workshop for alums 
   
   Happening February 29-March 4, this workshop is an invitation to come home to all you loved about your Onsite experience—the transformation, the rest, the outdoors, the healing hospitality, the community—and discover all the new things we have in store. “The Experience” is designed exclusively for Onsite workshop alums to return to campus and discover their next layer of healing.     
   
   You’ve already laid the foundational work so that you can dive right in. Start the registration process now if you’re ready to unlock deeper healing. 
   

If you feel stuck in the pain of your past and could use some concentrated time resolving and repairing certain areas of your life, you may also benefit from an Onsite Intensive, or an additional workshop, like our Healing Trauma Program or our Healthy Love and Relationships Program. 

If you’re not sure what experience is right for you, our team of warm and welcoming professionals are here to help guide your decision. 

As you ask yourself, “Now what?” we hope you are filled with curiosity, wonder, and anticipation, knowing that you deserve goodness. You deserve peace. You deserve contentment. As you journey forward, know you’re not alone. There are thousands of like-minded people who have been in this familiar space—who have tenderly looked back and healed what hurts, and bravely moved forward toward a more fulfilled life. 

So we look with anticipation instead of trepidation and ask, “Now what?”, and then we journey forward, together.