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"What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?" The Journal Prompt That Helped Me Redesign My Career.
Leaving my 14+ year corporate job was scary; admitting that I wanted more... that was terrifying. And yet, I knew I needed to listen to that little voice inside. This journal prompt was also challenging because I am afraid of most things. But the insights that came out were powerful for me and helped to clarify my new mission statement. When I finally wrote down what I was afraid of, I could face those fears head-on. IF I weren't afraid of: other people's opinions failing ac
Rachel Mountin
2 min read
How the Enneagram Hit Me Hard (in a Good Way) and the Noises That Followed
There’s a Flaming Lips song called "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" and though you wouldn’t guess it from the title, the lyrics are quite thought-provoking. I recommend listening to it late-night with a group of friends, dancing in a kitchen on a Thanksgiving-Eve in your 20’s (just pure hypothetical). The chorus presents us with a key question: “With all your power…what would you do?” Years later, that question echoed again when I finally understood my Enneagram type and that
Rachel Mountin
3 min read
It’s Up to You: How a Positive Mindset Can Change Everything
Learn how four words changed my day, then my life. A positive mindset can change everything.
Rachel Mountin
3 min read
An Engineer's Take: How the Enneagram Provides a Path to Growth
How to use the Enneagram framework for personal and professional growth - tips from an experienced, corporate professional with an engineering background.
Rachel Mountin
3 min read
What Else Can I Do?: 3 Lessons From Half-Marathon Training
Besides bringing the song from Encanto to mind, this idea of completing a challenge and then asking "What else can I do?" has recently been on my mind because of running. I'm training for a half marathon, which, to be clear, is a challenge for me. I enjoy running, but typically only run 3 to 4 miles at a time, on a good day. Signing up for a race gave me a goal and identifying a training plan to follow gave me accountability. More accurately: I set a goal and built an account
Rachel Mountin
2 min read
Lessons in Improv and Authenticity: How Improv Comedy Taught Me to Be More (and Also Less) Serious
My heart was racing. My fists clenched. My armpits…gross. It was opening night for Herding Squirrels, our student improv group’s first real show - in front of actual, paying humans, several of whom we didn’t even know (!). Over the course of the evening, I played a range of characters: a midwestern old woman (somehow my go-to accent), a background cat, and Skittles in a vending machine. Lest you think that this was a normal evening for me, let me take you back. At that time
Rachel Mountin
2 min read
We Get to Take the Airport Shuttle: How Our Word Choice Impacts Ourselves and Others
Once upon a time our family traveled with young-ish children (ages 5 and 7). We flew into Chicago late one night after delays and a long day overall. It was around 10pm - basically midnight for children and sometimes their parents too. We were exhausted and ready for sweet, sweet sleep. Then we discovered an unexpected obstacle between us and our hotel beds: we would have to take a shuttle to get to our rental car and then to the hotel. As we navigated the enormous airport, w
Rachel Mountin
2 min read
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