63. Taking the Next Right Step: How a Mindfulness Practice Builds Alignment with Libby DeLana

How busy are you? How rarely are you able to cut through all the noise? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is inspiring us all to carve out a daily practice because – no matter how modest – our human spirits need dedicated moments and rituals. When Libby DeLana committed to taking a daily walk around her Newburyport, MA, neighborhood 10 years ago, she had no idea how transformational it would be. Without fail, she has integrated a walk into her daily life. Every day. No negotiation. The results have been life-changing for this award-winning advertising executive, who then created #thismorningwalk as a safe place for self-inquiry, reimagination, and liberation. Her daily ritual opens space to contemplate the literal ground on which she walks, the energy she brings to each step, and the constraints of self-definitions that no longer serve. And in this episode, she shares her process, learning, and recommendations for us all. 

Whether we’re courting a donor or racing to get to the airport on time, more often than not we have less control over outcomes than we’d like to believe. But by adopting a practice such as Libby’s we can claim some agency. We can show up and define the parameters of how we choose to be present – to ourselves, our loved ones, our colleagues, and the environment around us. 

Libby exemplifies the power in putting one foot in front of the other. In her case, each next right step (even on the coldest New England winter days) has resulted in the equivalent of a global circumnavigation. We can start small, of course. It’s the intent that matters. So pull on your shoes – metaphorical or real – and join us for this energizing conversation. We’re being invited to step into our most aligned selves and create the spaciousness we all deserve! https://www.thismorningwalk.com/

Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.

Episode Highlights:

(03:32) – Libby’s professional backstory and the origin of #thismorningwalk 

(05:33) – What it means to put one foot in front of the other 

(08:45) – The importance of personal with non-negotiable commitments.

(12:50) – Managing not “enough-ness” in the small rituals that seem ‘too easy’

(14:30) – Reimagining the narratives around fundraising

(15:58) – Sitting with the unknowing 

(18:03) – Hello Inner Critic

(22:46) – Libby shares some of the most compelling lessons she’s learned

(26:50) – The power of the walk

(29:54) – How to find those daily small pockets 

(31:55) – The power of mindfulness practices

(34:10) – Changing the way we see ourselves

(40:32) – The quiet spaces and examining our assumptions

(41:05) – Shifting with self-love instead of judgment 

(42:17) - Learn more about Libby and #thismorningwalk

This episode of What the Fundraising was sponsored by Neon One, the comprehensive platform for coordinating donor and member management, fundraising, volunteers, and grants as well as all kinds of information about the when, where, why, and how of giving. Head over to this link to learn more!