I stumbled upon this note today and was struck by how raw and bold it felt reading it back ... I usually play my thoughts a bit tamer, but quite often this is exactly how I feel inside. It's not easy trying to navigate a very linear, analytical world while feeling our way to being our true selves. Sometimes you simply gotta call it out.

I woke up not feeling off today. I had so many plans for igniting my week off to a great start, and  I was not ready to feel low on energy. Then I opened my favorite Art to Self note, which said: "don't fight the slowness."

So, I'm not going to. 
*Because if that's not a sign I don't know what is. 

And as I've been sinking it to a slower pace, I'm really getting to connect with myself at a level I don't typically get to when I'm bustling around.

I'm hanging with the real me today .. not the one who is 'makin things happen' ... or the one who's worried about not getting it all done ... the one I am all the time underneath it all, who is there all the time .. subtly, quietly. The me that connects all the way back to who I was at 7, at 14, at 22, and yesterday. She knows a lot more than I do sometimes, she just has a greater perspective.

I am such a proponent of slowing down and yet I still loose track of how necessary it is to make that choice to take a step back, take it down a notch, and stop obsessing about my 'to-do' list for a day.

​I'm appreciating the reminder.

There are radically different energies, or ways of being, in life. As an entrepreneur I've always been influenced by the startup world (and in reality, this is the general vibe of our culture too) of 'make it happen,' and 'power through.' That's how I began building my business. It got me so very far in life, and it has been the only way I know to get things done. It's an approach that has merits and it produces results. 

AND ... I'm starting to comprehend that there's another way. I recently got back from two weeks in Hawaii (a most incredible place) and in these weeks following, I've been allowing room for that vacation mode to stick around.  I put a halt to the stacked agenda of back to back items (keeping me busy so I feel 'productive') and I'm giving myself space.  I've been allowing myself to feel more fluid, intuitive, and attuned to my place in everything around me. I'm noticing, paying attention to more subtleties, generating my own thoughts more clearly, and receiving ideas of others with more room to process them. 

I'm not going to lie my very own rational mind does not understand what I'm doing, how it's going to 'make things happen,' or when I'm going to 'fit it all in.' And it's because this mode of operating does not fit into a linear, traditional, analytical approach to living - or growing a business. I'm wrestling every day with 'am I doing the right thing?' This mode goes against everything I've been taught about how to grow a successful business.

And maybe that's okay.

Because - - what's crazy is that I've been seeing results. And these results are far more unbelievable and energizing than anything I could have 'pushed out' of me.  They are the dream opportunities that I thought I'd have to work 10 more years to get - like having corporate clients find me and hire me to lead my workshops in new cities, or an inspiring friend asking me to collaborate on a retreat in Costa Rica this winter. That wasn't on my '6 month plan' but it is certainly on my bucket list. So why not go straight to the bucket list??

I truly believe these opportunities are emerging because I've suddenly given them room to be there. And as an outcome I'm being pulled into an amazing next phase of my business rather than pushing out a mediocre, incremental next step. It feels wondrous and often unbelievable to even to me living it.

So I leave you today with this question for yourself - is there anything in your life that you are forcing right now?

Is there a way you can step back for a moment and give yourself space to feel your way back to your intuition ... to allow something to emerge, rather than feel like you have to push it out right now?

This is not easy - trust me, I know. 

Still, perhaps it's worth giving a new approach a try? Even in a single tiny step, it can open your eyes to a different possibility.

Yes, it is a 'woo' concept - AND - embracing this idea has absolutely transformed my business and my life this past year (because my business & I are wondrously intertwined at this point).

The first four months going solo starting Mind Into Matter last fall, all I heard in my head was my inner critic railing against me (I've named her Deirdre) ... subconsciously tearing down my ideas, crashing the party of any celebration, and constantly demanding I work harder, do more, be perfect. I was vulnerable and raw and my innermost self was hating on me for feeling that way.

Then, I picked up "Playing Big" by Tara Mohr and thanks to her exercise on tuning in to what's playing inside your head, I realized what was going down and I found ways to turn the volume down on Deirdre. What was left in that space was acceptance, encouragement, and true LISTENING to myself. I began to trust myself bit by bit, explore my own ideas with curiosity, and put deeper faith into the inkling of vulnerable aspirations that were rising up in my calmer headspace I could now create. From all this inner work, I was able to design and 'birth' my very own first course, Plugged In, this past April ... and when it wrapped up, I experienced the single proudest, most fulfilling, rewarding, and radiant experience I've ever felt.

So, I've felt the power of self love and I know that there is ZERO chance I would still be in business - or creating one that I am overjoyed to be running - unless I had learned to become my own source of love inside. We cannot write off a big concept like 'radical self love' to the domain of gurus, yogis, or monks - - and I know the average reaction to these words might be just that, I used to do it too! I've seen how it is absolutely vital to entrepreneurs, creators, artists, and anyone who wants to bold enough to build a life that lights them up.

So dip your toe into what self love means to you, explore what it feels like when you try it on. Notice the words you use with yourself and pay close attention to how they make you feel ... observing at first, and then making tweaks and adjustments as you realize what's going on. If you feel vehemently against it, that tells you something too. Seek out resources that empower you to get a handle on embracing self love - check out Tara's book, the podcast below, the Headspace meditation app, or set up a complementary session with me. It's a 'one step at a time' kind of process, so find one that you want to take today and go do it!

**For more inspiration, check out this fabulous conversation on the Good Life Project about what it means to embrace self love for building your business and being a human who's truly alive, with Gala Darling.

Time to start feelin' the love baby!

Can you remember what it feels like to not have a constant to do list running through the back of your mind?

Last summer, after taking two weeks off the grid in Colombia, I can recall re-entering my apartment post travel with a serene calm & clarity pervading my whole body, and mind. The things I had felt were utter chaos just weeks ago had faded away or clicked slowly into place and I was left with that glorious sensation that for at least the moment I could tackle anything life might present me.

I believe it is vital for anyone who wants to produce unique, valuable work for others to create time without the obligation to connect. We spend every other moment of our lives juggling commitments, messages, replies, posts, follow ups, and we start to believe we have to keep up ‘all the things’ to maintain life. Yet the truth is we don´t ... and the truth is the constant activity can actually fog over our sense of the bigger picture.

Letting go of it for some time gives us a break from balancing so much freakin’ stimulation. It empowers us to regain a clear view again and see our path forward in a way that feels possible.

It might feel odd, uncomfortable and even scary at first to surrender to the calm and stillness that’s left when the activity halts. We’ll have the twitch to just ‘check in’ … and our fingers just happen to open up our email app. But popping in to keep an eye on things re-ignites your ‘work mode’ and it brings back the to do list and all the obligations wrapped into that. The calm is effectively pierced.

I am choosing to go off the grid because that total immersion in calm, with all it’s intricacies and challenges, is what I’m aiming for. I’m sure I’ll stumble a bit along the way because I’ve realized to my chagrin I’m perfect. Yet I know that I know that at the other side of offline is a mind that comes home stronger, happier and more crisp - ready to tackle the question marks I´m wrestling with now. 

If you’re feeling inspired to try this yourself - join me! 

Find a day on a weekend to cancel plans, hold one totally open with nothing to do, or carve out 2 minutes to do nothing ... any amount of letting go is a healthy size.

Beginning this month, I am starting ‘Question for Self,’ a monthly note to share the resources inspiring me - from books, talks, articles, podcasts, daily engagement with the world - and I will pose them to you in the form of a question. 

Why a question and not the answer? Well, because you are an intelligent person and you are far more equipped to understand what these concepts mean to your unique existence than I. In fact, the pursuit of your answer is where the real learning & wisdom comes :)

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So the deal is - I will send this out once or twice a month. 

Would you like to receive it? If so, Amazing! You can opt in to get it here:

Send me questions!

And now on to the some questions: 

SO WHY AM I DOING THIS?
If you know me well, you have already figured out that I do a lot of “self-education.” Read: I am a full-on nerd when it comes to learning about personal awareness and how I can live more meaningfully with that knowledge. I am constantly reading, listening to podcasts, watching TED talks, reflecting, asking myself about the meaning of life .. and my own in particular.

Much of this quest is what has empowered me to discover a career - and a life - that truly feels worthwhile to me. So I’ve decided it’s time I did more than just keep a list of those resources in an Evernote. I’d like to share them with you. Moreover, I’d love to learn how they land into and impact your life so I can get a better grip on what these concepts mean to other humans and how best to use them in my coaching and teaching work.


WHAT IS THIS “NEWSLETTER” OF SORTS?
I am tentatively calling this effort “Question for Self.” It will be one grand experiment in developing the discipline to share words on a consistent basis. I’m not a natural writer, I far prefer speaking to people face to face, so this is a test for me to grow in a new area. I imagine I’ll learn A LOT as I go.

I will be doing a lot of testing in here. I want to find out what kind of content is most interesting to readers, how can this empower you the most, which format works most effectively, and what frequency is actually sustainable for me and you? There may be some shape shifting and changing course along the way so eye an eye out for that.

AND FINALLY: Please let me know what you think as we go. I'd love to hear your suggestions, your insights, your ideas .. an inspired gif. Any feedback you want to throw my way is welcomed and very much appreciated. I look forward to include you in my grand experiment and learn from you along the way.