How to Replace Worry with Awareness When Crisis Hits
a mid-year reset & return to our inner rootedness
I’d spent over a year developing an audio training for the renowned multimedia company Sounds True. I’d written and refined eight hours of material. I’d practiced it to the point of memorization. The time had finally come to record.
But just before I was due to fly to the Colorado studio and deliver the biggest creative endeavor of my life, crisis hit.
I uncovered information that left me reeling as a parent. While I couldn’t turn back time, I knew the road ahead would be difficult.
But what about now? What about this project I’d poured everything into?
I had to make a decision.
I kept thinking: This isn’t how it was supposed to go. But personal crises don’t care about big plans or creative milestones. Crises simply happen — and when they do, we are left with three options:
Pause
Postpone
Go forward as planned
In a decision process too complex for words, I chose Option 3: go forward as planned.
That hot July morning in 2021, I sat on a taxiing plane asking myself if I’d made the right call. While my body had gotten me where I needed to go, my mind was somewhere else, looping through fear, guilt, hope.
Just as the plane was about to lift off, a message came through from my friend, Lynn:
“Rachel, I think of you as a Noticer, too, though I know it’s what you consider Avery. Rather than worry about her while you’re apart, I wonder if you might try honoring her by noticing all the things she might notice.
I get that you won’t be able to turn it off completely, but when the worry creeps in, maybe you can reframe it. Use that cue to look around and notice something beautiful. This can help you throw the right kind of energy at the pain and regain your focus.”
That simple reframe, worry —> awareness, became a thread I could follow. It led me all the way to Colorado, and into the quiet sanctuary of the recording studio.
I’ll never forget walking into the studio for the first time. Through my daughter’s eyes, I immediately noticed its cozy, welcoming family room vibes.
A candle had been lit.
Chair pillows had been arranged.
A tall pitcher of water awaited.
The temperature of the room perfectly adjusted…
everything in quiet preparation for my arrival.
The producer placed a hand gently on my back and asked, “How do you feel?”
Although I immediately became emotional, I managed to say, “Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
The recording process for my Soul Shift Sessions audio series took five days, and each day began the same way: with present-moment awareness.
The audio engineer was a gentle, grounded soul who enjoyed guiding me through visualization exercises to settle my nervous system and bring me fully into the moment.
Each visualization was unique and effective, but one, centered around a mental drawing, stood out from the rest.
I remember feeling so at peace during the practice that I didn’t want it to end.
But when it did, I felt stronger — not just about the creative work in front of me — but also about what I’d be returning to at home.
That act of shifting worry to awareness became my anchor during those five critical days and in the long, hard months that followed.
The studio may have faded from view, but the mental drawing practice came home with me. Over time, I’ve shaped it into something personal. It’s become a stabilizing practice I return to whenever I feel unmoored.
And now feels like the right time to share it with you.
During our upcoming Treehouse Zoom gathering on Thursday, July 31, I’ll guide you through that practice.
Because as we move into the second half of 2025, I’ve been wondering:
What might help you feel rooted right now?
What might help you shift, gently, from overwhelm and worry into presence and peace?
I believe stillness holds answers. And I believe our Treehouse is the space where those answers can rise to meet us.
Grab the Zoom link below and join in.
My hand in yours,
Rachel
🌳 Rooted & Reaching: A Midyear Reset
A live mini retreat to reset, reconnect, and return to your own inner rootedness.
🗓 Thursday, July 31st | 8PM Eastern
📍 Live on Zoom (Replay available if you can’t attend live)
🖊 Just bring:
A few sheets of paper, a notebook, or index cards
Something to write or draw with – like pencils or markers
A willingness to slow down & prioritize your needs
To attend, become a paid subscriber. You’ll receive access to:
This live session (and replay)
Future Zoom gatherings and all past recorded teachings
Deeply personal “Dear Rachel” Q&A essays and personal reflections
A supportive community in which you’ll feel seen and supported
We cannot control the chaos that awaits us, but we can choose how we meet it.
Let’s root in. Let’s notice our way back to center. Together.
🗣️ Please let me know if you’ll be there! It brings me joy to anticipate the beautiful faces I’ll see.
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