Springtime!
Last week we had sunshine and warm weather, but today it’s rainy and 40 degrees..again. Everyone who has lived in Buffalo, NY, or somewhere like Buffalo, knows this boomerang weather is going to continue for a while, but eventually the cold, wet drizzle is going to give way to warm, sunny summer days, perfect for sailing, hiking, backyard picnics and art festivals. I’m reminded, as I pull on my raincoat and get the dog leash, that spring is a great metaphor for personal growth and transformation. Some days are warm and sunny, some days we just want to curl up in a ball and go back to sleep and skip exercising, eating right, painting, dancing, singing, dog walking, journaling, or whatever it is that makes us feel like ourselves.
This up and down cycle has mirrored my journey with online coaching. This week, I’m hitting restart and getting serious again about launching my business and finding clients. I love working with folks to help them find easier ways to navigate life. Some want to find more joy in life’s little things, some want to figure out how they feel in their relationships, some just want to finish the article they’ve been trying to publish. We all have our own unique set of dreams and challenges. I want to build a thriving wellness business with one-on-one coaching clients, online embodiment trainings, and in-person movement classes that cater specifically to women. (It feels good to say that into the blogosphere.)
Most of us know where we want to be in life, how we want our lives to look and feel, and how we want to be spending the days of our ‘one wild and precious life,’ but it’s not so easy to get there. Sometimes we get derailed by challenges we didn’t anticipate…and it can be really hard to get back on track. Sometimes we can’t see past today’s rain storm to a sunny future. Sometimes it literally feels like we’ve fallen off a cliff and there’s no way back up. Whatever metaphors you use, you know the feeling. That’s when it’s time to find a new way forward!
Do this with me:
Close your eyes and imagine you are your future self and you have the joy (or love or accomplishments or ease or wellness) you really desire for yourself. Really feel what your future body feels…Where are you? Is it cold/warm? Are you inside/outside? Who is with you or are you alone? What does it smell like or sound like where you are?
Now affirm for yourself that you got here. You accomplished what you set out to do…find your inner strength, learn a new skill, get rid of bad habits, feel more confident in your body, feel contentment in your life, launch a new business... How does that feel? What are the sensations in your body? How does your heart feel? Do you feel tingly? Energized? Relaxed? Sleepy? Do you want to laugh? Cry? Don’t judge, just feel what it’s like to be who you want to be deep down inside.
Now take a minute to think what the very first step would be on the journey from where you are today to this future self. What would it be for you to take that step? How would that feel (exciting, scary, impossible?) What are the challenges? Fears? Roadblocks? Excuses? Things or people that are in the way? What supports do you have? What other support do you need?
This blog is my first step as I return to figuring out how to launch my business and find clients! On one hand I’d like to curl up into a ball and stay stuck where I am. It’s safe and I know what the challenges are. On the other hand, I can see and feel the joy and aliveness that helping people in this way brings me. It brings me closer to myself and the warm sunshine of summer and joy. There will be more rainy days ahead, but I know with the right supports and the right mindset, I’ll get there.
You can too! Keep taking step after step, clearing away the obstacles (excuses, old ways of thinking, habits that don’t serve you anymore), and returning to how it feels to be your one wild and authentic self! You can do it!!
-Anne
