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About Me

People have often said to me, "You should write"—starting with my 11th-grade English teacher, Mrs. Beam (tribute at bottom of homepage). "Stephen, you should consider becoming a writer or a journalist"—It was the vivid memory of that after-class "...could I have a word with you" moment that suddenly flooded my mind decades later. She had known my interests lay elsewhere, but still she bothered. Naturally, I paid no attention to her, nor to others along the way, but more recently I'd wished I had. I had been sitting motionless at my desk that summer evening in 2024, amid all the fears and doubts over my changed plans for the site's first story. Replacing a story about my client's two-year athletic journey to his breakthrough moment with a mega story that spanned decades—one intertwined with my own journey no less and still only a concept—it sent my anxiety level to new highs. There had been no journal kept, nor was there even a notion during that time that a story was forming, just moments lived and observed along the path of one's life and vocation. All I had, as I sat there, was a sea of constantly surfacing memories and past observations, along with some gathered video links. I've no idea why Mrs Beam suddenly entered my mind or why she was standing by the classroom door that day—maybe to hand back essays, or perhaps to ask for those few moments of my time. The irony of it all?—I pondered the video links I had collected, the same ones I had shown to my young athlete just hours before he boarded his flight. I had shown him more than just videos—I had shown him a story, or rather a piece of one. Within minutes of beginning to write, my anxiety seemed to fade. I suddenly realized hours had passed like minutes, and found myself oddly feeling like I had returned home from a long journey and was finally lying in my own bed. Make of that what you will, but it's the best description I can offer. Perhaps the late Diane L. Beam saw something that I couldn't, or wouldn't, see. The learning curve has been steep and continues, but the beauty of an online story is that it's a living thing, capable of constant improvement for the reader's sake, and constant refinement for the author's peace of mind. It has become an unrivaled learning experience, and continues to be so.

Newfound awareness and a fresh perspective lead only to better understanding, regardless of when, where, or how. We often hear the term "personal growth," but this sounds more like something the "world in general" could use right now, doesn't it? Maybe that starts with each of us becoming inspired to discover our own fresh perspective and newfound awareness before assuming we've satisfied our potential—and that would include me.

The acronym "Stedáwi" (Steh-dah´-vee) began as an art signature in the 1980s, soon became a nickname, then an online moniker, a business name, and now, of course, the name of this site. Residing in Hawaii these past fifty years, I marvel at both the change in the urban landscape and the resilience of the natural beauty that surrounds it. Similarly, I reflect on all the changes within myself during that time, while the essence of the young boy who pored over pages of distant places, different cultures, and the many ways one might live their life has remained steadfast. My life has passed so quickly, and seems so matter-of-fact to me, yet it is one that many seem to find unusual. I don't see it as such, but we seldom see ourselves as others do, and that may well describe much of what you'll discover in the stories found here.

My study of NeuroSomatics began just one year after arriving in the islands, when a traumatic experience resurrected my background in behavioral science. Working several jobs just to survive, a different approach was in order, and the personal care sector seemed the appropriate place to apply it. A non-verbal learning project with animals led to a post-graduate semester in Neuropsychology, while membership in a Chinese martial arts society led to an M.A. in Eastern Medicine and a Shiatsu Therapy license. Combined with guided movement and the art of conversation, each of those disciplines formed the foundation for an approach to somatic therapy that would occupy the next two decades. Feldenkrais and Functional Breathing were added at that point. Events during those years, along with the recent shift from therapist to educator, created my connections to the initial featured story, "An Awakening To Gift A World." Writing it has obviously created its own connection, but has also created something entirely new and separate—an undertaking measurable only by time—that is, of course, unless you ask that young boy.

I hope you'll join me,

Stephen Williams

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I'm Stephen Williams