The Path That Leads You Here | Read more at kaileenelise.com

Pull up a seat, there's room for you here. Do you ever find yourself taking a trip down memory lane? Looking back at where you've been and seeing how it's led to where you are?

My coach and mentor Emma Natter hosted a lecture yesterday and during it, she offered prompts about the gifts in our business. She asked us to consider their origins and trace their genealogy. It got me thinking about how this all began…

When I started sharing online in 2009, things were different around here. People always say that when they're looking back, but it's true. I began on Twitter with limited characters. I had a blog where I'd post as often as daily. I snuck in early hours at my favorite coffee shop, writing before work. I'd read other people's blog posts during lunch breaks. When I got home from work, I'd scroll through my blog roll, finding inspiration in the nooks and crannies of the internet.

I had dreams of my website becoming my work, but I had no clue how. I had no offerings, no clients, no products, no plan to monetize (which wasn't a word we used back then, by the way.) This really was a place of creative expression and connection. Somewhere for me to explore and be myself.

I'm not sure why, but I felt safer being my whole self online than I did anywhere else. My day jobs were always demanding with hustle, start-up cultures. I was a self-motivated, go-getter who put in long hours while longing for something different.

Looking back, my corner of the internet felt very cozy. Quiet even. There were people from all over. Writers, thinkers, soul seekers, who wanted to connect beyond their bubbles at home. I participated in tea trades and hosted gift swaps. I shared playlists all the time. And I wrote these things I called Creative Weekend To-Do Lists, which were my way of bringing sparkle and magic to what I had to do that weekend.

Some of what I did then mirrors what I do today. I still love making playlists, tiny offerings of love and inspiration from my laptop to your ears. And the spirit of Creative Weekend To-Do Lists lives on... even though I haven't shared one for years. Maybe I'll bring them back?

I'm not sure when Twitter stopped being my favorite place. If I had to guess, it was around when I started hanging out on Pinterest and Instagram. I was early to jump into these algorithmless worlds of pretty pictures and inspiring words.

That’s also around when the best websites and social media presences started to get slick and fancy. The time and quality were obvious. The difference between "real bloggers" and the rest of us amateurs showed. Imposter insecurities started to creep up from within me. My work would never look that good. Unless my boyfriend learned how to hand-code my website. (He never did.) And unless I bought a DSLR and learned photography. (I never did.)

How I wish I could tell myself back then that technology was on her way… ready to answer all my wishes with iPhones, Squarespace, Canva, and other amazing resources that live just at the ends of our fingertips. I’d also tell myself that eventually, I'd hire professionals to help bring my creative dreams to life. It didn't occur to me back then that I didn't have to do it all myself.

In those days, I listened to podcasts all the time. I loved them so much. My boyfriend (now husband) would joke that I started all conversations with, "I was listening to a podcast..." I never imagined I'd have my own show years later, talking about the same topics I adored then — intention, inspiration, and intuition.

Reflecting on all of this feels significant. As if these questions from Emma were meant to land within my heart. Seeds of consideration that have been blooming since she asked yesterday.

What are the gifts in my business? You, me, and this incredible technology allowing us to connect. My path, your path, and the way they weave together through time and space.

Considering these questions changes the way I see what I'm doing here. It anchors me to a deeper sense of appreciation, meaning, and purpose. It makes me want to honor you, honor me, and honor the space we're in together. It makes me want to act with more reverence and care, joy and fun.

Getting wrapped up in the drama of likes or shares, number of subscribers or reviews doesn't serve me or you. The way I can honor us is to continue finding my center and acting from a place of alignment, where truth, ease, and magic are the focus. I want to simplify, find a steady rhythm, and trust that where I am right now will flow to where I need to be next.

Right now, I'm sitting in the quiet early morning hours before my day begins. I'm sipping hot coffee and making a playlist for the email newsletter that goes out on Saturdays. I'm hosting a virtual retreat and group coaching experience about magic. My website is gorgeous and my photos feel like me. My podcast is growing and connecting with you.

All of this, every piece of what I’m doing here, is something I dreamt of when I was sitting in that corner seat of my favorite coffee shop. Even as I took the steps to get here, I had no clue how they'd connect. But, from where I'm sitting now, it all makes sense.

If you haven't taken a trip down memory lane recently, let this be an invitation. How has where you've been in the past led to where you are now? What gifts are in your life and business? Consider their origins, trace their genealogy, see what you find.