presence – Ruthann M. Wilson

Leading from Within: Why Personal Leadership Comes First

Inner clarity ripples outward.

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase leading from within? I invite you to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect on what that phrase stirs in you. Whether you’re guiding a family, a team, a community, or a congregation, authentic leadership begins within. It is shaped by inner clarity, rooted in vision, and attuned to what feels most true for you.

Guiding ourselves is a lifelong practice, shaped by reflection, realignment, and the courage to return to what feels true. This inner work is what shapes and builds integrity. Integrity is not a fixed state. It is a return to wholeness, a noticing of misalignment, and a gentle guiding back to congruence.

Personal leadership is the practice of living in alignment with your values, your rhythm, and your truth. Your values act as an inner compass, guiding what you embrace, what you release, and how you show up each day. Your rhythm is the pace and pattern that honors your energy, your seasons, and the flow of feeling. And your truth is what feels real and congruent. It is inner knowing that lives beyond performance and outside of the need for approval.

This kind of knowing becomes the foundation for making decisions that align with your values and support your growth. It nurtures relationships that feel safe and rhythms that sustain rather than drain your energy. When we lead ourselves with clarity, its impact begins to ripple outward. Outward leadership becomes more trustworthy, attuned, and sustainable so others may lead with clarity too.

This kind of leadership feels especially important right now. Many of us are rethinking how we live, work, and lead. Many of us are also feeling the pace and the pressure to perform, and finding reason to pause and reassess.

In a time when everything seems to be moving faster and trust feels fragile, inner clarity becomes a source of steadiness. It helps us shape lives that feel true and relationships that feel safe. It allows us to lead in ways that energize and inspire others.

Inner clarity shapes how we show up, how we speak, move, and reset. When we honor our personal rhythm, we show up with more presence and ease. When we speak from a place of alignment, our words carry weight and the potential to shape trust and what comes next. When we pause, reflect, and reset, we return to ourselves, able to lead from a place that feels steady, true, and sustaining. How we live becomes how we lead. And how we lead authentically begins with clarity within.

Reflections on Personal Leadership, shared in support of your leadership journey.

Personal vision begins within
Personal vision is inner clarity about what matters and what is yours to bring to life. Leadership guided by inner clarity offers steadiness, not because every step is mapped, but because the direction is true.

Values are your compass
Values are the principles and priorities that shape how you live, work, and lead. Values guide not only what you say yes to, but also what you release. When your values are clear, decisions become less about seeking approval and more about honoring what is true. Leadership begins when you choose alignment instead of approval.

Emotional clarity is foundational
Emotional clarity begins with noticing what feels true, what feels stirred, what feels off. This kind of clarity allows you to respond rather than react. It helps you lead with steadiness and create space for others to show up fully, because you have made space for yourself first.

Boundaries protect your energy and enable integrity
Boundaries clarify your role and create the conditions for sustainable leadership. Clear boundaries allow you to lead from a place of wholeness. When you honor your own rhythm, you lead in a way that feels true and steady.

Presence is powerful
People feel when you’re fully engaged: not distracted, not performing, simply present. Whether it’s in a meeting or a conversation, your attention communicates more than words. It shows that you’re listening. It shows that you care. Build trust by consistently offering others the gift of your full attention.

Leadership inventory offered as a way to reflect, realign, and return to what feels true.

What values are guiding me right now?
Are they clear, or do they need revisiting?
Where am I honoring my rhythm, and where am I overriding it?
What shifts might support more ease?
What feels congruent in how I’m showing up?
What feels off or performative?
Where might a boundary support my energy or integrity?
What would it look like to honor that boundary?
How does my presence feel to others?
Am I leading with attention, or distraction?

Move through the questions at your own pace. Let them deepen your inner clarity, and help guide how you lead from within.

Lead with clarity. Make space for others to do the same.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

10 Practices to Restore Rhythm and Meaning in Daily Life

Life moves quickly. It’s easy to overlook the quiet moments that bring meaning and connection. These ten practices are grounded in three core principles: reverence, rhythm, and rooted presence.

Each one offers a way to slow down and deepen your experience of your day. They are simple and accessible, designed to help you pause, listen, and be with your day in a more intentional way.

Whether it’s lighting a candle, placing your feet on the earth, or ending your day with gratitude, these small actions can gently reshape how you move through your day.

You don’t need to follow a specific order. Let your intuition guide you. Choose one practice each day, or return to the ones that feel most supportive.

1. Light a Candle with Intention

Practice: Before you begin your day, light a candle with quiet reverence. Let the flame reflect your inner fire: your presence, your purpose, and the energy you choose to carry into the day.
Journal Prompt: How can I tend to my inner flame throughout the day?

2. Sit in Silence for Five Minutes

Practice: Pause. Breathe. Listen. Let the quiet speak. Let it guide you.
Journal Prompt: What arises in the quiet when I stop trying to fill it?

3. Choose a Gentle Phrase to Carry

Practice: Select a simple phrase like “I am here” or “This moment matters” to guide you through the day.
Journal Prompt: What phrase feels like a gentle anchor for me today?

4. Place Your Bare Feet on the Earth

Practice: Step outside. Feel the ground beneath your feet: solid, steady, alive. Let it support you.
Journal Prompt: What helps me feel rooted and supported in this moment?

5. Make Tea Slowly

Practice: Prepare your tea with care. Feel the warmth, breathe in the aroma, and notice the quiet unfolding of the moment.
Journal Prompt: How can I let this moment of preparation become a ritual of care?

6. Let Yourself Cry, Laugh, or Rest

Practice: Honor your emotions. Let them move through you, whether through tears, laughter, or quiet stillness, without judgment.
Journal Prompts: What feeling have I been holding, and how might I let it move through me?

7. Write a Note of Appreciation

Practice: Send a short message to someone you love. Let your words be a gift.
Journal Prompt: Who has touched my life in a way I want to honor?

8. Place Your Hands Over Your Heart

Practice: Close your eyes. Place your hand over your heart. Feel its rhythm. Listen to its wisdom.
Journal Prompt: What does my heart want me to know or remember?

9. Do One Thing Slowly

Practice: Let one simple act such as walking, eating, or talking become a ritual. Slow down. Be present. Let intention guide you. When repeated with reverence, even the smallest gesture can become a doorway to meaning.
Journal Prompt: What opens in me when I choose to slow down?

10. End Your Day with Reflection & Gratitude

Practice: Ask yourself what felt sacred today. Whisper a word of thanks. Let the day close in quiet reverence.
Journal Prompts: What moment today held unexpected meaning or beauty? What am I quietly grateful for as I close this day?

These practices aren’t meant to be perfected or put on display. They are meant to be lived quietly, intuitively, day by day.

You don’t need to do them all. You don’t need to get them “right.” What matters is that you show up with intention and let meaning find its way into your everyday life.

I’m grateful you paused here. If it feels meaningful, you’re welcome to share it with others. You can follow the blog for new posts, subscribe to the mailing list for updates, or connect on social media to stay in touch.

All the best,
Ruthann

Envision the Month Ahead: Four Questions to Ask Yourself

As we begin a new month, I invite you to set aside a few minutes to start the month with the end in mind. Ask yourself the following questions with the end of the month in mind.

What meaningful accomplishments will I have achieved by the end of the month?
With whom will I have intentionally spent time, and how did those connections enrich me?
What will I have released because it is complete, no longer brings me joy, or serves my highest good?
What daily practices will have kept me grounded and present throughout the month?

Consider making a vision board that includes words, images, and symbols representing your desired outcome (click here to see my post on vision boards).

If you need help setting goals, check out my post SMART Goals: Bring Your Desires to Life, where I share the SMART approach to creating written goals and structuring your time. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Evaluate your progress on a weekly basis. In evaluating progress, think not only about what you have accomplished, but who you have become as a part of the process. Reflect on the changes in your mindset, your habits, as well as your overall outlook on life, as these are just as important as tangible accomplishments.

Acknowledge the challenges you’ve faced and the strength you’ve gained from working through them. Be patient with yourself and trust the process. Recognize that growth can sometimes be slow and nonlinear. Allow yourself the grace to evolve at your own pace. Take the first step, write down one thing you intend to accomplish.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or stirred a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Weekly Reflection Prompts for Personal Growth

Each week carries its own rhythm. When we take time to look back and gently look forward, we honor our progress and invite clarity.

A weekly reflection, just 15–20 minutes, can become a sacred pause. It’s a way to gently realign, notice what’s unfolding, and make space for what matters most. I have outlined a few questions, best answered in writing, to help get you started.

Look back

What felt complete or meaningful this week?
What remains unfinished, and what might that reveal?
What did I learn?
How did I grow?
What felt aligned?
What felt off, heavy, or resistant? What gentle shift might help me meet it differently?
What felt like a gift this week?
Where did I offer presence, support, or light?

Look forward

What matters most in the week ahead? Why?
Based on my review of last week, what might I do differently in the coming week?

Let this weekly reflection become an anchoring practice. A way to honor your movement, your learning, and your becoming.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

All the best,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Career Journey: Things I’ve learned along the way

I’m grateful for a fulfilling career across multiple industries. In this post, I’ve shared a few practical lessons that helped me grow, adapt, and lead with purpose.

Be where you are

Know what’s expected of you and do it well. Being present means making the most of your current role: learn, grow, excel, and enjoy the work in front of you. It has a way of opening doors and drawing people and opportunities to you that will enable you to grow into your next role.
Learn from the past. Plan for the future. Live in the present by making the most of where you are right now.

Develop transferable skills

Develop skills that are relevant across roles and industries (e.g., communication, collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, etc.). My career has spanned several industries including pharmaceuticals, telecom, consumer goods, and hospitality, made possible by developing and applying transferable skills.

Stretch Through Projects and Roles

Welcome assignments that help you stretch and grow. Growth doesn’t always come through promotion. Sometimes it’s a lateral move or a stretch assignment that helps you build new capabilities and prepare for what’s next. Embrace the journey of growing into your next role. Be as open to a lateral move or stretch assignment in your current role as you are a promotion if it will help you grow and ultimately achieve your career goals.

Listen & Learn

Feedback is a gift. Be open to constructive feedback from peers, managers, leaders, etc. Solicit feedback in a way that it is constructive and enables you to grow (e.g., behavior-based, example-based, suggestions for improvement, etc.). Ideally, leaders should include feedback gathered from business partners, peers, etc. as a part of mid-year and/or year-end conversations. If you’re not receiving regular feedback, ask for it, and be open to what you hear.

Surround yourself with people who want to see you grow

Spend time with people who genuinely want to see you grow. We all need inspiration, encouragement, reality checks, and people with whom we can be vulnerable in our personal and professional lives. Spend time with people who genuinely want to see you grow and be that person for others too.

Own Your Career by Knowing Yourself

Know your values, gifts, talents, passions, abilities, and areas of opportunity. Define what success means to you and revisit that definition as you grow. Your vision may evolve, and that’s part of the journey. Create a plan of action to bring your vision to life. Consider working with a mentor and/or coach. Know the difference between the two and work with them accordingly.

Thank you for reading. If this message feels true or timely, you’re welcome to share it with someone who may benefit by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Gratitude: A 30‑Day Practice to Begin and End Each Day with Thanks

Gratitude is a simple yet profound practice that can shift how we experience life. By beginning and ending each day with thanks, we invite peace, contentment, and a deeper awareness of the blessings already present.

Being grateful is a simple practice that can have a profound effect on your life. Everyone has something to be grateful for – food, shelter, clothing, family, friends, health, career, financial abundance, transportation, new beginnings, new opportunities, life lessons – just to name a few. When we focus on what we have and feel a deep sense of gratitude for it, we are able to shift into a state of peace and contentment even if life is not exactly as we wish it to be.

For the next 30 days, I invite you into a gentle rhythm of gratitude, twofold in its simplicity:

Begin and end each day with gratitude. You may be thinking that you are too busy and not able to add anything else to your schedule. I hear you! It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. As an example, in the morning, I simply give thanks for the gift of a new day as soon as I open my eyes. In the evening, I review the day and express gratitude for whatever I consider to be gifts, blessings, or life lessons. I enjoy writing things down as it gives me an opportunity to review what I have captured over time. Create a daily practice that works for you and your lifestyle.

Express gratitude to others. Make a point to call, send an email, send a text, write a handwritten note to someone each day expressing gratitude.

If you miss a day, it’s okay! Work toward creating a consistent practice over the next 30 days and beyond.

Gratitude is a daily choice to notice, honor, and give thanks for the gifts of life.

Thank you for pausing here. If something in these words offered insight or stirred a shift, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

With gratitude,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Master Prioritization: Align Your Actions with What Matters

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Prioritization is a powerful way to bring clarity and focus to your life. Becoming aware of where you have gaps between what you say is important and what you actually do on a day-to-day basis is the first step to creating better alignment between priorities and actions.

This week’s challenge:

🔸Begin each day with a list of your three most important priorities and actions.

🔸End your day by reviewing your priorities and actions.

🔸Did you focus on your most important priorities? If so, make note of what helped you stay focused on your top priorities. If not, why not? Use what you learn to make changes/adjustments.

If there is a gap between your priorities and action, see it as an opportunity for personal growth. Recommit to your list of priorities and take action.

The same practice of prioritization that brings clarity to life also strengthens your ability to focus on career goals and professional growth.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Embrace Your Career Journey: The Power of Being Present

In addition to being a writer/author, I’ve had a long and fruitful career in corporate America. I had an opportunity to speak with a group of graduating students about my work and experience growing a career in a corporate setting. The students were a part of intensive training program that provided them with technical and professional skills. I love new beginnings and the energy of new graduates about to embark on their careers. I recall graduating from college and being excited about my first job post graduation. I had a very supportive supervisor and transition into my career.

One of the six career lessons that I shared with the graduates is to be where you are. The lesson was shared through a corporate lens; however, it’s also a powerful life lesson.

My message as it relates to being where you are in a corporate setting is to know what is expected of you, do your current job really well, and be open to new assignments/opportunities that can help you stretch and grow into the next role. Oftentimes, when people are early in a career, the goal is get to the next level quickly. The focus often becomes getting promoted/getting to the next level instead of learning, growing, excelling, and enjoying their current role. Moving too quickly can be problematic when an employee is promoted and not prepared for their next role. I encouraged them to be fully present and embrace the journey of growing into their next role.

The bigger life lesson is to live in the here and now; not in the past or in the future, but where you are right now. You can make the most of where you are by cultivating habits and practices that enable you stay grounded and present in your life. A few things to consider:

Give thanks for your life, even if it’s not exactly as you wish it to be
Reduce multi-tasking and focus on doing one thing at a time
Give other people the gift of your full attention
Spend time in nature and literally put your feet on the ground
Be intentional with your time
Breathe deeply
Meditate/embrace silence

Being where you are is about making the most of where you are right now. It has a way of opening doors and drawing people and opportunities to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates. If you know someone that might benefit from this message, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Boost Your Day with Positive ‘I Am’ Statements

Words are powerful! What you tell yourself on a daily basis influences the way you experience life. Positive “I am” statements are extremely powerful in building and maintaining your self-esteem. I offer three affirmations to begin and end each day as a part of your self-care practice.

I am worthy

I am loved

I am enough

Learn more about affirmations The Power of Affirmations (Video).

You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking the follow button. You can share posts with others by clicking a share button below. Join my mailing list to receive email updates (Join mailing list).

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Unlocking Your Intuition: 4 Essential Techniques

Your intuition is a rich source of information that is always available to you. There are many ways to tap into your intuition. Here are a few:

Questions: Ask your wise self a question and listen [deeply] for an answer. You may receive an answer immediately or it may take a few days or even weeks. Be patient and trust the process. Link to Harnessing the Power of Questions for Personal Growth.

Silence: Give yourself the gift of silence on a daily basis so that you can cultivate peace and calm to hear your inner guidance. Link to The Power of Silence.

Keep a journal: Put your thoughts on paper without filtering what you are writing. Review and reflect on what you have captured in your journal on a regular basis. Link to Journal Practice: Tips and Benefits.

Take action: Taking action on inner guidance opens the door for you to receive more.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you found it helpful. If you know someone who might benefit, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann