I held her hand one last time before I walked out the door, tears welling at my eyes and falling down my cheeks onto my luggage. I felt so lucky to be able to be there with my grandmother for 2 final weeks before she died, 2 weeks I wouldn't have gotten unless my grandfather had died first. This was the most difficult part of my otherwise outstanding year. I understand that with the ups come the downs. There is no such thing as forever expansion. In fact, expansion is almost always followed by some contraction. And I consider myself lucky to have had so much expansion this year.
I want to start this recap of the year by saying THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has followed me, liked my content, commented, shared, read my blog, attended my many workshops, booked private sessions, and now have taken coaching sessions with me!!! I'm in absolute awe of the power of the internet to do more than destruct. And to say extra thanks to those that read my blog, there's a special treat in this one just for you!
Before I started my Instagram, I was sick of social media. I had quit Facebook before the 2020 election because it was not good for my health to read all the hate from people I thought I knew, and focused more on Instagram where I discovered I could follow inspirational, witchy, and aligned accounts and enjoy myself on social media again. I was unemployed, stuck at home, and looking for a new purpose. On New Year's Eve of 2020, I had one friend over to celebrate with me and my then-girlfriend. ONE FRIEND. This is how restrictive things got in 2020, and it's almost surprising looking back on it. This fateful night, we did some drugs and what became my business Instagram was formed!
Back then it was called Feminfinity! We thought it was a really catchy name, and at this point we all kind of created it together. We had a whole written plan for what it would be! Inspirational, witchy, fun, and rebellious! Quickly, I became the main person producing all the content. I really enjoyed it! And we also discovered that Feminfinity was starting to feel restrictive. That we didn't want people to think it was only for women! So, I changed it to our second-best idea: Make Space for Infinity! And my company name was born!
Fast forward to 2023! My Instagram now has over 1200 followers in 2 years which feels really amazing! I'm celebrating this milestone! It has taken a lot of hard work and thousands of posts, reels, and stories to get here! And it's all thanks to you. I hold that if you build it, they will come, and they are still coming! I've pivoted many times, and will continue to pivot more as I discover more of what my purpose is! I've focused less on witchy stuff, but it's not all going away! I combine Tantra, somatic psychology, witchcraft, poly-normativity, and fun into my Insta now, and I hope you stick around to find out more! It's my intention to share as much free stuff as I possibly can so that everyone who comes in contact with my business can have a chance to heal if they do the work!
So, what did I accomplish in 2023?
I held 36 workshops (both public and private)! Wow!!!!
I taught to over 600 students!
I taught for 128 total hours!
I started and am mere weeks away from completing the VITA sex, love, and relationship coaching program! Spending over 600 hours getting this comprehensive, and transformative certification!
I went to Costa Rica for a 7-day Tantra retreat with all VITA students and got to learn directly from THE Layla Martin!
I met my long-lost family from my father's side at one of their family reunions in the Vancouver Islands!
I attended Shambhala music festival for the 4th time and got to reconnect with my brother.
I went to Burning Man with my amazing partner, and taught 6 workshops there! 2 of the public ones were OVERFLOWING and I had to turn people away!
Then, when I thought I was done travelling for a few months, my grandfather suddenly died and I went back to Delaware for his funeral and chose to stay 2 additional weeks to help my mom take care of my grandmother, who was in hospice. They died 31 days apart and I flew back to Delaware again to attend her funeral.
It's been a wild ride, and the expansion was greater than the contraction this year. I'm feeling wildly aligned for what 2024 has to offer me and I've got one final surprise for you all! I've decided to change my company name! Make Space for Infinity has been amazing, and people have loved it, but I want the brand to be more about me since what you're really getting is... ME! I've only shared the new name with a few people, but I think you're special for reading my blogs, so you get a special treat for making it this far! In January, I'll be relaunching my new brand with a new logo (built by a professional this time!) and my new name will be: Lona Teaches Bliss! Help me keep it a secret until I launch in January!
Watch out for all the new stuff coming at you, and there's still room to get on my coaching list for ultra-discounted sessions for the next 6 months! Seriously, less than 1/3 the price they'll go for in the packages! And only for that coaching list which closes soon! Send your email to me at Lonagarner@gmail.com and say you want to be added to my coaching list to get added!
Thank you AGAIN for your love, support, and magic as we move into 2024 together!
INSPIRED ACTION: Gratitude is the language of the universe! Reflect on your year, and share as much gratitude as you can to the people who have helped you expand!
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