Posts Tagged ‘daily inspiration’
Are you sick of feeling lack about money, and not knowing where to get enough clients? Or, perhaps you know… and yet it still feels like a struggle. There are honestly numerous reasons why holistic practitioners, coaches, and other conscious, spiritual entrepreneurs who are trying to really do good work in the world find themselves stuck and under-earning. One frequent issue: we are not aligned in our truth. This may show up as…
- Using marketing or messaging techniques that feel forced, fake or salesy… because that’s what you’ve been taught or see others doing
- Not having identified your heartfelt niche or calling that really excites and motivates you to move forward
- Not standing in the true power of your work – which means you may be undercharging, or simply undercutting your value through unconfident nonverbal communication (so that others aren’t compelled to hire you)
- Energetically not attracting clients who really would benefit from your work – and who you just love!
- What feels really alive in your work in the world? What do you love?
- Are there business-building techniques (ways of finding clients) you’ve been taught that don’t really feel good? What are they?
- What’s really missing for you in your work?
Have you been feeling a little… wacky… as of late? Lots of change is afoot now. I’ve noticed a lot of wild energy and mood swings happening everywhere – often very positive, and at other times just bizarre. Sometimes I’m feeling just incredible, and at other times I feel all over the place. Really weird! I wanted to get a sense of who else was going through this, so I just took a poll on Facebook, and almost unanimously found that people currently feel like they’re switching back and forth between being really centered and pretty off-kilter. Have you noticed yourself experiencing any of the following?
- Vacillating feelings and moods (like, sudden bursts of fear or hope), or changing your mind repeatedly
- Intense interactions; those around you negotiating dramatic issues, or even family members facing life-threatening illnesses
- Increased feelings of doubt about your work, relationships or other important matters
Yes, it’s not just you. I’m here to tell you: you’re not crazy. And you’re not alone. (And if you’re not experiencing this at all, be aware that others might be.) This is the 2012 change energy at its peak. It’s here. So… what do we do with this??
Here are some exercises. These are great to help transform nervousness around public speaking into confidence – and also help us maintain our center in the rest of life.
- Get in your body. Stretch, exercise, jump up and down… you get the picture.
- Ground your energy. Send roots or cords into the center of the earth. Often. And, if it’s your cup of tea, upon Divine Source or the Universe from above, so you’re centered between heaven and earth.
- Witness the ride. If you use any sort of awareness techniques, like Vipassana, this a good time! Don’t be attached to huge fluctuations. Know it may keep changing for a while. If nothing else, just take a lot of deep breaths and focus your attention there.
- Postpone making big decisions. Since a lot is moving all over the planet right now, and it’s affecting everyone, you may want to wait until things have felt consistent for some time.
- Smile. Get some perspective, laugh a little, and know we’re on a roller coaster. Have a little fun with it, if possible.
Hopefully these will help. If you’re dealing with this too, keep breathing. And stay compassionate for your friends and family. We’re all in it together.
…Been experiencing this? Please share, and leave a comment below.
Recently my focus has simply been on self-love. Loving myself during my mistakes. Loving myself while I continue on this interesting human journey, with all its aspects. Loving myself, with compassion and care, as much as I do my clients, friends and colleagues.
Why is it so much easier to love others than ourselves? Although, anger and other negative emotions toward others are often a reflection of how we feel toward our own person. Interestingly, we often have the hardest time with those we know the best – spouses, coworkers, great friends… often can be the ones we’re also frustrated with. And, the one we know best of all (and, sometimes, understand the least) is ourselves. We judge ourselves, punish ourselves, and worse, for actions that we might have much more easily forgiven in others. Or, at least, in a small child who obviously would have known no better.
The step toward self-love can begin with witnessing and curiosity. Rather than just judging something you did, view it as if an aspect, or part, of you, was responsible for that. Imagine if the part who did an action you judge, or had a feeling with which you struggle, was a child. Would the most loving treatment be to yell at her or him? Would that help your inner sweet, innocent one feel safe?
Action: Write down a list of how you’d like others to treat you. Then, take an inventory of how you’re actually treating yourself. Begin to notice any gaps. And when you have a strong feeling, notice where you feel it in your body… and imagine as if that is part of you that needs to be heard and wants honoring and expression. Send a message to yourself, like…
“I hear you.”
“I care about you… and about what you’re experiencing.”
“I love you.”
After trying this, please note any experiences below.
OK, I admit it: I haven’t been able to blog as much as I had originally planned. When starting The Inspiration Blog, the desire was to blog multiple times a day – and for some time, I did, and loved it. Have I gotten out of routine? Perhaps. But more so, my energy is focused on other ways to create transformation in this world. I’ll still be here, and will still be contributing as much as I can – because I love doing it, and because of the great feedback I’ve gotten that shows how much people get from it.
In the meantime, you might ask: are you searching? If so, why? How much do we really need to find peace, empowerment and joy in our lives? (Yes, I ask this now to myself as well.) It’s so easy in our consumer-based culture to keep searching for More.
But the true answer is really quite simple.
Go back through previous blog entries, and meditate on one simple paragraph. Check categories on the right for where to start.
Action: Whatever you are seeking, the answer is already present. Listen inward now, and you’ll find that all you need is already within you.
I had a dream recently where I was watching a play – not terribly surprising, since I’m a theater creator, director and performer (my other hat aside from being a coach). In the dream, I had watched the play more than once, always from the same seat. However, for some reason I needed to watch it again – from a new angle. So went to a different seat in the theater – and it looked dramatically different! Some characters loomed larger than others, and it was a completely different experience.
When we change our perspective, we radically alter our experience. Sometimes this happens dramatically, through a life-altering event; other times, we have a gradual shift, for better or worse.
Action: Think of something in your life that isn’t ideal. Look at it differently – perhaps by literally going to a real location you don’t normally visit, and thinking about it there . Or, imagine how someone else might deal with it – perhaps someone richer or poorer, with different color skin, or from another country. Your ideas about the situation are solely that – ideas. A new perspective will give you some fresh ones.
Have you ever waited for opportunities to fall into your lap? And then, perhaps, get despondent when nothing came to you? Or, perhaps you decided to “get out there” and Make Things Happen – only to find out that you were trying to force the situation. Being too passive – or, being too aggressive – energetically doesn’t draw in what we truly desire.
To fully utilize the law of attraction, it’s essential to be both open and active. These essential aspects of the feminine and the masculine (don’t think male/female – instead, visualize intuitive/feeling/ vs. direct/practical/logical) are needed in tandem in order to bring into our life what we seek.
Part 2: notice what appears.
If you would like to consciously create your life (e.g., via the Law of Attraction), your surroundings are incredibly important – in every aspect. If you work in a cement-filled urban area or financial district, it can be farm more challenging to be nurtured and supported by the earth.
And who surrounds you is just as essential. Did you know that most people’s income is the average of the 5 people with whom they spend the most time? Similarly, your energy level (e.g., enthusiasm, vibration, and qualities) average out, too.
Action: Make conscious choices about who you spend your time with. And if it’s necessary to regularly be around people who do not uplift you, find a positive, intentional person or community that makes you feel brighter every time.
If things just aren’t moving for you, whether it’s a creative block, or you just feel stuck, you can take practical steps – literally. Try some of the following:
- Go for a walk. Exercise is a great way to get the energy moving. Even walking around the block can help! Getting in nature is even better.
- Visualize. Imagine how you’d like your life to be, or whatever you’d like to be shifted. Engage all 5 senses, picturing how you’d fully engage with your new life. Reinforce this several times a day.
- Create the worst version possible. Get out of the perfectionist mindset by literally creating a horrible, terrible version of whatever is your ideal goal. I mean really, really bad. Maybe even two or three times! …Maybe you’ll just happen to find some gems you can keep.
Part 3: Opening to change.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut – or perhaps mired in a painful situation – it can feel like there’s no end in sight, as much as we want one. Conversely, at times, we can find change threatening – especially if we have things we like.
Yet, ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus duly noted, “The only constant is change.” Every moment is different and brings new opportunities. The seasons progress, we age and see things differently, and the world changes. Whether it’s political upheaval in the middle east, natural disaster in Japan, or a technological innovation that shifts how people work and send information, Shift Happens.
Part 2: how to get things moving when we feel stuck.
Last post, I talked about how we can grow from our pain. However, there’s yet another step we can take: use our wounds to inspire people, and to uplift ourselves.
As a child, I was painfully shy and had few friends. In fact, as a very young boy I developed a stutter when my father tried to teach me to read at too early an age; I just wasn’t ready.
Yet somehow, in high school I ended up on the speech and debate team… and did well, even amidst social awkwardness.
While I had many steps along the way, including becoming an actor, director, high school and college speech coach, and graduate degrees in communication and theater, I’ve ended up with my own business as a coach – a personal growth-oriented coaching and workshops to help people speak from their full power, and “perform” in life with authenticity, truth, and effectiveness.
Many others have overcome far greater adversity (did you know James Earl Jones had a strong stutter as well?)… but that’s my story. And what’s yours?
Action: Take an inventory of what’s been most painful for you in your life. What have you overcome, partially or fully? Or, what is still a challenge? How can you envision using it to inspire others?
