In last month's newsletter, we talked about the start of spring and the willingness to take inventory of your life, to ask yourself some questions about what involvement you have in the direction of it. To those who took me up on the 20 minute chat, we went a bit deeper into a personal path of answering those questions and setting up actions to support them. Let me know how that's coming along!
Here is a theme I noticed from those calls that I wonder if other readers may resonate with this month. Most of you who are reading this have already done some inventory. You're no novice. You've taken your life into your own hands, so to speak. You've let yourself dream. You've started to plan, and you’ve likely already made a move or two- putting yourself out there on that date, going into that year-end review with documentation to confidently request that raise, taking that next step in building the foundation of your own business. The next roadblock, and the theme that's been arising, is that there are core fears you're still buying that have stopped your action entirely. You are stalled out somewhere between point A and point B, accompanied only by burnout, dwindling hope, and a list of reasons why not. At best, these fears have slowed the process down so much from the bombardment of fearful, negative thoughts that you're so distracted with swatting those away with all your might that you hardly remember that you're even on the path of your dreams. They're designed to do that, by the way. Your fears are in working order.
Because this is their design, there is no negotiation. Those core fears are meant to outline your comfort zone and keep you inside it. They're useful when telling you to double check your parachute before leaping from a plane, but they kind of get in the way when it comes to finding your voice and making your moves. No negotiation. This does not mean there is no compassion. To set a fire too hot, too quickly, could burnout the whole process, so honesty with yourself about your capacity is your best friend here. Light the fire needed to burn through all the excuses that will leave you with solid responsibility without scorching your willpower, resources, and support system. Your will may be a whisper right now, so it must be tended to gently while balancing firm boundaries with your negative thoughts that are telling you that you're not enough, you're not ready, or you need more or less of something before you get to take your next step.
We are intricate beings. We have been with ourselves all our lives. We are the only one. And some of the stories we've told ourselves have been running for a long, long time. Some of them have even been perpetuated by people, institutions, or sets of ideals we've grown or been taught to trust wholeheartedly. The curiosity about whether these stories or beliefs fuel and feed the inner workings of our hearts or fuel and feed our fears is a worthy one. This is not an invitation to uproot moral ground but to consider, with the wisdom of your experiences and your growing critical thought, which belief patterns are serving your highest good and which were designed to keep you safe. From there, it is time to distinguish between genuine safety- mind, body, and spirit- and perceived safety, like social approval, learned over-dependency, or following the rules in your own made-up rule book. That is your next step, the deeper inventory.
This is where work with me really begins with my clients. I'd love to have you for a talk. I am at the point in my career, and we are at a point in the world, where these conversations are energetically valuable in and of themselves. Breaking free from the chains of our thoughts can ignite power and beauty that the world craves. It would be my honor to have that conversation with you which is why they are complimentary. The work from there that people hire me for is optional to you should you feel a call to keep going.
In connection with other leaders who have their own take on this kind of work, I have been developing an in-person option to work together this year at The Alchemy of Us Retreat. As this is my first time sharing it here, I'd love for you to click around, take a look, and let me know if this is something you are considering so that we can chat more personally about options for you. I'm very much looking forward to this project and have some of you in mind for the kinds of workshops and experiences we're planning. It is available for registration now, and we already have some people in, so please reach out if it sparks something. Stay tuned!
PS. Previous clients have been reaching out and sharing about their lives with me, and I want to highlight them! This is just a bit about what it looks like when moving beyond those fears.
-One just booked her first workshop in a dream venue for her new business!
-One had the best year of his life career-wise- worked on projects that leave a legacy for the things he believes in, set his family up comfortably, and got to call the shots in a way that was never available to him in corporate work.
-One found a deep grounding and relationship with herself in new-found faith that has helped her shift her relationship to romance, work, and health, so she is shifting tons of patterns that kept her small before.
I will only ever share these generally and without detail unless I am given permission for more. Please send yours! It makes my day to hear how life keeps unfolding after our work.
