Movement with First Steps

Greetings!

After an initial planning session with my business mentor there were action steps to take.  Nothing seemed all that difficult when we came up with the list.

First step.  I want to believe that my ability to express with poetry and writing and the energy I feel and connections with heart-centred individuals can provide an opportunity to share what I’ve already produced.

Drafting an email and choosing three cards was done quickly and easily. 

My progress slowed down when I thought about who I would reach out to. There were many people I’ve met over the past few months who I value but I started to over think everything and everybody.

How would they respond?   Do they have time?  I feel like I’m being a bother.  I felt uncomfortable asking for help is what it comes down to.

I felt physical discomfort with moving forward.  This shouldn’t be such a big deal.  Why the anxiety?  Breathe.  This is new.  You’re stepping out of your comfort zone.

The first email I sent was to my coach.  It was like a baby’s first step with someone holding my hand.  Doesn’t sound like the confident person I want to be but in reality that’s where I stood. 

I became keenly aware at this moment that the work of developing a business is just as much about developing my inner confidence.  I had heard Ali Brown, say something like “If you want to fast track your personal growth and development, start your own business.”

All of my fears and doubts were quickly surfacing themselves.  Encouraging me to stay right where I was.  But you can’t do the same thing and expect different results.  Do you really want this?  Yes!

I received a prompt response back from my coach and I wasn’t so much surprised by the encouraging feedback but rather with my own reaction to reading it.  It was as a huge A-HA moment that not only surprised me but profoundly changed my way of thinking.

I need my physical self to be willing to take action and go outside of my comfort zone in order to allow my Spirit Self to be able to express itself and share with the world.

There is an inner shift – a willingness to reach out and keep moving.  As the old saying goes, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

Feeling uncertain, off balance and a bit clumsy I kept taking action.  Movement.  One little step at a time will build confidence and momentum.

My commitment is stronger.  I’m no longer hiding out.

I know this is my heart’s desire and I want it strongly enough that I’m willing to deal with my fears.

Peace,

Sheila 

xo

Adapting to Change

Greetings to You ~

So if awareness of my energy and behaviours are a first step.  How do I change the behaviours that no longer serve me?

I just realized that was my ego mind asking the question.  Yes, but be gentle with yourself.  It's natural for the ego mind to want to know why and how.

I received information last week about that type of question at the EnergyRICH Marketing Mastery Q&A call with Heather Dominick.

Last week I recognized that the decision to move what I do from a hobby to a business triggered something in me.  It shifted my energy from an easy, inspired energy to an old belief or an old story I had about “work.”

When I worked for a large organization there was an emphasis on productivity and deadlines. When I associated my creative work as a business I noticed an urgency to get things done which was forcing action rather than allowing my energy to flow.  I could actually feel tension and stress start to arise.

I also remember how I’d work on less important tasks rather than getting done what I really needed to. It’s like I needed the panic of a deadline to get focused.

Heather suggested that I allow myself to know, "This is different." Affirm that you don't have to do it the old way. The mind says "how" but I don't know how because I haven't had direct experience yet.

Breathe. You don't know how it feels yet, but you can imagine how you’d like to feel. I would feel relaxed and in the flow.

"I don't have to do work the old way. I'm open to the new way."

I am ready.

Peace,

Sheila
xo

Inspiration

Greetings!

I've been thinking today about inspiration vs. motivation. I looked up the definitions in the Oxford Dictionary.

Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something esp. to do something creative.

Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. The general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

The difference to me is that inspiration emphasizes "being" and "feeling" where motivation is "acting" and "doing."

Today I felt like my inspiration has dried up. Inspiration will never dry up, it's just flowing around you.

Why is that? Inspiration can't be forced.

This week felt a bit like when I worked for a corporation. Working longer or harder because of an external factor like a deadline or a meeting. You were motivated not inspired.

Motivation feels hard and inspiration feels effortless. That is true.

The feeling of inspired action is really being in the flow. It takes less time and effort for the same results as when you're motivated. That is true also.

What you're feeling is fear. Fear that you won't continue to be creative.

You have felt inspired before and you will feel inspired again.

You're feeling the same pressure you used to feel about business. It's an old story.

You feel inspired when you have the time and freedom to have a hobby. The resistance is the pressure you put yourself under based on fear. Fear of not doing it right or fast enough.

What if you learned how to work the same way that you play? I'd be in the flow all of the time.

You have to let go of the pressure of time.

Breathe. Relax.

Peace,

Sheila

xo

Acceptance

Greetings to You ~

I’m back from a ten day trip in Colorado spent with family and friends.

It was a busy time filled with a mix of activities.

Now it’s time to shift back to a new routine and ground my energy. Time to focus on a vision for the future and start to create it.

Acceptance is a word that keeps running through my mind. Am I resisting my desires and who I am right now?

Accept and love yourself completely right now. Be gentle and don’t judge yourself. Accept what you think is good and what you think is undesirable. Accept your feelings and current circumstances.

You are human and you’re feeling a wide spectrum of emotions. Accept all of them. Love yourself and know that you’re here to experience all of it.

Don’t worry about time. Don’t worry about money. Don’t worry about what you’ve done, not done, need to do.

Just breathe and accept every part of yourself. You’re learning, growing and changing. Every experience is sculpting who you are.

Just like the Colorado National Monument. The environment, circumstances and external conditions played a part in changing the original rock wall into unique rock formations.

There were natural vulnerabilities and fractures within the rock wall that increased its erosion. There were also less resistant, underlying parts of the rock, that helped smooth the rough edges brought on by its environment.

You’re not so different as you adapt and change to conditions in your life.

Gently put aside your resistance. Love and accept yourself and your journey.

Are you ready?

Peace,

Sheila 

xo

Clear the Path

Greetings to You ~

This past weekend was social and fun. We went out for dinner with friends on Saturday and Sunday we had our family over for dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday a few days in advance.

Then I woke up with Monday brain. Where did my inspiration go? Where did my clarity with taking next steps go? Why was I feeling stuck?

I started doing business research on the Internet and became overwhelmed and scattered. Along with that came uncertainty and doubt about whether I'm headed in the right direction.

Breathe.

My environment was clear and organized but I realized that my mind was cluttered. My computer's task bar had To Do items that went beyond the length of the screen. It was time to either delete old items or get some things done.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed I had a tendency to put things off when tasks appeared to take extra effort. But that only meant I'd replay the same painful experience in the future with not having it done. I needed to focus on the little things that were tripping me up.

Millionaire master coach David Neagle says in his Art of Success audio (free to download by the way) that the Universe works in an orderly manner and that order removes confusion.

Here are some of the things I did yesterday that helped bring me order and clarity:

• Removed tasks from my To Do list that were no longer relevant or necessary.
• Reviewed downloaded photos and set up new folders to store them on my Mac.
• Shopped in the evening for items I needed and found available on-line.
• Organized my travel documents and started the process of packing for an upcoming trip.

I reminded myself to use my Three Action Process (TAP) to start the day. What will help me TAP into my greatness?

1. Something I want to do.
2. Something I am resisting (but know I'll feel better once it's done).
3. Something else.

The everyday things always get done without scheduling.

I closed my email program for most of the day today so that I wouldn't be distracted by the icon that shows how many unread messages I have waiting for me.

The result? Progress with something that's important to me. Preparing for my first business planning session with my coach/mentor.

My feeling at the end of the day? I feel focussed and back on track.

What actions can help clear your path and bring a sense of order into your world?

Peace,

Sheila

xo

The Door to Possibilities

Greetings to You ~

The past few days have held much angst about making a decision to move forward with a business decision.

Have you experienced a time when your heart knew what you wanted but your head warned you, "I don't know, be cautious, this may not work, it sounds risky."

The tug of war with staying the same vs. the possibilities of doing and being something greater. We'd easily make the decision if we had a guarantee of success. We'd easily make the decision if we knew it would be the right choice.

It felt like I was holding on to the door handle but not opening the door. So close to entering, but I could still walk away.

So I was asked to write out what I was drawn to and why I wanted it. Write down my fears, doubts and worries and release them to the Universe and be open to receiving signs or signals on what's the best choice.

My mind had already made a practical choice, one that was a stretch but wasn't too far past my comfort zone.

Then came the wisdom from Dan Millman's book the "Laws of Spirit."

"Yes. Worthwhile goals demand effort, risk, and sacrifice. You have to persist through fear and doubt; you have to draw on inner resources and become more than you were before. Every new challenge serves as an initiation: You meet discouragement; you overcome discomfort, boredom, and frustration; and you find out what you're made of...

Go toward what attracts or excites or inspires you - toward what touches your heart."

Today I walked through the door that was far beyond the comfort zone of my reasoning mind. A place where there will be change but also possibilities. A commitment to action with no guarantee of success but a strong sense of faith that it's the right thing.

Funny enough it felt easier walking through the door than standing on the other side not making a decision.

It's always about just taking the next step.

Peace,

Sheila

xo

Awareness

Greetings to You ~

The past few days have been full of a-ha moments about hidden areas to grow.

Just like a rose that starts out tight as a bud. As we open and expand so does our awareness.

We may have just started the process of inner growth or further along the path. But as we continue to grow and open up we recognize there's still more that's unfolding.

When my awareness opens up, I see areas that I want to change and need to adapt to in order to grow. Bits of resistance come up and I hear myself saying, "How could I have said or acted like that? Gosh, I have a long way to go."

Then I stop and say, "Whether I'm a tight rose bud or I am fully blooming in my greatness, I still love and accept myself."

Awareness and self-discovery is part of our inner growth and transformation. Love yourself!

Peace,

Sheila

xo