Inspired in part by Lindsay Leahy’s original “Back to Center” blog — read it here.
What matters most right now?
What is most important here, in this moment?
What do I need to adjust to prioritize these things?
It takes great effort to stay steady like the mountain in the midst of all the storms it endures. The mountain is shaped and marked by each gust of wind, each downpour, each season that passes, and yet, it remains.
To “Be the Mountain” is to find our own way back to center.
These questions above have been my compass lately.
Just yesterday, someone said to me, “The pace of change feels overwhelming—like just when we get used to something, it changes.” That’s the reality of our world today. And as the pace of change accelerates, our coping skills must evolve too. Our responsibility is to show up as whole, grounded, and ready to serve—no matter the storm.
That means taking ownership of our thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions. When I return to those three questions, I find myself anchored again in my core values and beliefs:
- Who am I being in the world—what are my thoughts, words, and actions communicating?
- What conversations am I having, with care and curiosity, about the beliefs that guide me?
- How am I loving and serving the people right in front of me?
- How am I embodying the change I want to see—living with peace, love, and courage?
When life feels uncertain, it’s easy to reach out—or lash out—but real steadiness begins within. When we get grounded internally first, then tend to what’s right in front of us, our influence ripples outward in powerful ways.
This year, our team at The Restoration Project has weathered its own seasons of change:welcoming new leadership, new projects, new partnerships, and new directions in our work.
Through it all, we’ve kept centered on our mission: to create a world that is caring enough to accept what is, and courageous enough to chase what could be—by developing organizations and individuals who live, lead, and work with meaning.
Be the Mountain has kept us grounded and strong—changing with the seasons, yet unwavering in our purpose.
Be the Mountain has reminded us that the winds of change, though sometimes harsh, make room for new life and abundance.
Be the Mountain has turned what could have been chaos into quiet confidence—an assurance that everything unfolds in due time.
And now, as we close 2025 and step into 2026, we carry that steadiness with us—ready to shine our light into a new year of growth, courage, and connection.
Each of us at The Restoration Project has experienced the call to Be the Mountain in our own way this year. Below, our coaches and leaders share their personal reflections on what this theme has meant to them, and how it’s shown up in their work, relationships, and growth.
Brooke Fitzgerald – Energy Builder & Partner
What she wrote in January:
Be the Mountain for me means even through the winds, chaos and fast paced nature of our world, we can remain calm and still in many moments and continue to live intentional and meaningful lives through it all. Oftentimes, we are the stillness reminder for our clients and colleagues, and that is many times what we need to get us through.
What she wrote in November:
In any good business, no matter the industry you’re in, the products you’re selling, the widgets you’re making, the services you’re offering, or the value you’re providing, you have to have a solid, firm foundation for who you are and why you exist in any given season.
- What are those things that keep you grounded when the world is uncertain?
- What are those values you can anchor back to when it feels chaotic?
- What are your beliefs, intentions, and habits?
- Are they rooted to align with why you show up?
This is in essence, what Be the Mountain means to me. While the business evolves, it has peaks and valleys. It has times where it receives sun in some areas and shade in others. Storms occasionally, calm clouds others and the brightest sun some days. Even through all of this, the Mountain remains vastly grounded and will be there tomorrow. Unwavering, resilient and true.
Lindsay Leahy – Dream Builder & Founder
What she wrote in January:
Be the Mountain. For me this means to remain connected so I am able to stay open and be at peace in any circumstance. To be grounded, so I can speak truth in love at any given moment. It means coming back to center so I can spread hope and goodness throughout the world. Be the Mountain is a reminder to dream big, love hard and shine bright.
What she wrote in November:
Be the Mountain has helped me learn/relearn a few very important lessons this year:
- Allow the frustration to become an invitation
- Let time and God do their work while you do your own
- Ask others for perspective and support
- Keep progress and the good front of mind…especially in tough times
Ultimately this has freed me from the desire to avoid suffering or be comfortable, and remember that a life well lived is one in which we can experience everything and learn how to move through it with grace, hope, joy, love, and peace.
Sarah Watson – Creator of Calm & Coach
What she wrote in January:
Be the Mountain will guide our being, as we protect the present moment and give love to all that the future holds.
What she wrote in November:
A mountain catches our eye, holds our attention, and carries a great deal of wonder. It welcomes all weather, creatures, and conditions without large sweeping shifts. The mountain’s expansive state invites us in to explore, seek new challenges, and become our own witness to new experiences. Our desire to reach the best part (the view!) must begin at the bottom. A starting point to recognize who we are and what our future could potentially hold…if we have the courage to begin.
The view is what we typically want, what we stive for, and what we all work toward. But the mountain doesn’t exist only for the view. To reach the beautiful view, it requires us to be brave on the path of the unknown. This journey to reach the view is where our greatest growth moments happen.
I’ve been thinking a lot about reaching the view. The pinnacle. The utmost of who we are.
Be the Mountain.
And here I be.
And here I stay.
And here I will become.
Molly Knuth – Connection Creator & Managing Director
What she wrote in January:
To me, Be the Mountain is able to be expressed more in visual terms than in words. In my mind’s eye I see a timelapse of a mountain. Through the change of seasons, as day turns to night, as storms gather round the summit, as rain lashes at the slopes, as snowstorms obscure the vision, and as the sunshine sparkles overhead, the mountain simply IS. It stands tall and resolute, unchanged yet ever-changing. At times the mountain is invited to be shadowy and daunting. At times it is an Eden alive with the sights and sounds of spring. No matter the season and no matter the circumstances that surround it, the mountain is always itself, just by BEING.
What she wrote in December:
When I think back on 2025, I know it will forever stand out as a year of pivotal growth and change: in my life, in my work, and in my leadership.
Throughout much of 2024 (and honestly, 2022 and 2023 too), I felt myself yearning for something different. My business, Molly Knuth Media, was “good,” but it no longer felt great or exciting the way it once did. I was growing disconnected from social media at large and from how my role as a digital marketer was (or wasn’t) impacting the world for the better like I believed it was when I first struck out on my own in 2016.
So, I found myself in a liminal space—between what had been and what was next.
And then came 2025, the year when the next step became clear. I joined The Restoration Project not just as their social media gal or marketing director, but as Managing Director. Now, I get to nerd out about personal and professional development every day. I get to work alongside leaders who are doing big, meaningful things in the world. And I get to help align how we support and develop these leaders going forward. It’s incredible.
“Be the Mountain” didn’t just describe my experience this past year…it captured the culmination of the past three. It reminded me to allow the seasons to change, to let time do its work, and to trust that trends will rise and fall while I stay rooted in my purpose: to do good in the world and to connect with others doing the same, helping them amplify their voices and empower their missions.
Being the mountain isn’t flashy like the beach or fast-paced like the city. But it’s where you return when you need to find your footing again…steady, solid, and sure of who you are.
Closing Reflection
As we reflect on this past year of being the mountain, of standing steady, adapting with the seasons, and returning again and again to our center, we’re reminded that true strength comes not from resisting change, but from remaining rooted in who we are as it unfolds around us. The storms have shaped us, yes, but they haven’t shaken our foundation.
Now, as we look toward 2026, we step into a new invitation: to shine our light. To let what we’ve learned, endured, and restored within ourselves illuminate the path for others.
The mountain doesn’t chase the light—it reflects it. And so will we.
From all of us at The Restoration Project, thank you for climbing alongside us this year, for your trust, your courage, and your presence.
Here’s to another year of connection, intention, and action—emerging as restored, intentional leaders.
