This commitment to myself changed my life

With everything going on in the world right now, it’s sometimes hard to know what to say or how exactly to open this newsletter. So for today, I’ll start simply by saying: Thank you. Thank you for your commitment to doing meaningful work, to connecting genuinely with others, and for being willing to share your stories and your authentic self with the world. 

Even if we don’t know each other, I think it’s safe to say you want to put good stuff out into the world (or you wouldn’t be reading this) — and I’m grateful for that. 

On that note, before we get into the heart of today’s topic (which is a bit on the personal / reflective side) I wanted to let you know that I am now booking projects for 2025. 

If you want to write a non-fiction book, proactively do thought leadership work, create a certification or course, and/or improve your leadership communications this year, I can help. 

If you’re looking for a writing partner, ghostwriter, editor, writing coach, or storytelling specialist, we should talk. Feel free to reply to this email and let me know what you’re up to. Or, you can add yourself to my wait list.

And with that said, let’s get to it.

Roughly a year ago, I made a commitment to myself. 

Essentially, it boiled down to moving in the direction(s) I genuinely wanted to go, and not letting fear derail me. 

I’d started to become conscious of the ways that fear was dictating my decisions, and ultimately, holding me back. 

To go forward in the ways I really wanted to in my life, I needed to embrace the fear—to move through it, or even go towards it—rather than try to circumvent it. 

I figured that even if things didn’t work out and I wasn’t super happy with the outcomes of my actions, if I looked back on the year and said, “well, at least I really went for it. I was bold AF,” then that would be good enough.

I suppose in the simplest and maybe most clichéd terms, I decided to feel the fear and do it anyway. But I also tried to reimagine my relationship with fear. I wanted to treat fear as a sign that something might be right (or at least interesting, or have potential) rather than something to be avoided. 

For example, I cut out this quote and stuck it in my art journal:

I’ve made a lot of resolutions and commitments to myself over the years but never have I lived one more thoroughly than I have this past year — and my hope is that I just keep getting better at it. 

Of course, this commitment didn’t just pop into my head randomly, nor has it been seamless and easy to uphold it. (Ha!) 

There was (and continues to be) loads of therapy, coaching, and other life events involved. But one of the many things that nudged me forward was the passing of my dear Uncle Jimmy.

The death of a loved one has a way of sharpening your perspective on life, for sure. Especially when that person was as pure-of-heart as he was. 

If you may recall, I wrote a story about him—Build your eulogy, not your resume—back in January. 

To honour his anniversary (which was October 24), and further immerse myself in the lessons I learned from him — and to share some of that with you — I turned that newsletter into a bonus “Coaching with Cam” podcast episode. 

If you feel like you need a break from the noise of day-to-day life and want to think about what matters most in your life, have a listen here or wherever you stream your podcasts. 

On that note, this might be a good time to think about what commitments you have for yourself, for either the rest of this year, or next. 

Is there something you want to do differently? Is there a new approach you’d like to take? 

Is there something you’ve been putting off that you want to dig into? 

Are there any big projects you’re waiting to take off the “someday list” and put on the front burner? 

And, is there something I can help you with? 

If you are ready to….

… write that book 

… turn your knowledge into a course or certification you can sell

… give the speech of your lifetime

… establish yourself as a thought leader

… or otherwise level-up your communications game, I’m here to help. 

As an easy next step, just add yourself to my wait list and get a free, zero-commitment consult with me: www.camilledeputter.com/waitlist

Meanwhile, whatever it is that you want for yourself, I am rooting for you.  

And if it happens to scare the crap out of you… well, all the more reason to go for it.