Let's Talk about Ease
I had a crazy dream last night about an octopus wrapping its arms around me as I was trying to swim back to a boat. Every time I would break free from its grip, it would grab me with another one of its tentacles and pull me back under the water. It sounds like a pretty scary dream, but, I was really consciously aware of the symbolism as it was happening in my dream state. I wasn't afraid.
The octopus in my dream represented stress in my life and that stress is my own creation. It's something I have been giving energy to and in doing so, I have been readily and regularly feeding the beast. I have been doing this in a myriad of ways, some of which include overcommitting myself and knowingly agreeing to things that are no longer in alignment with my big goals. Can you relate?
I have to tell you that this realization, in and of itself, is a powerful thing. For one, It's an opportunity to create a shift and open myself up to becoming more intentional in the commitments I am making. And secondly, it allows me to really look at the big picture in a more laser-focused way. If I draw a straight(ish) line to my goals and indicate how I want to feel along that journey, it's going to look a lot differently from what my "to do" list looks like at this very moment. Therefore, this is a brilliant opportunity for me to get out the red pen, start making some phone calls and deliberately begin CUTTING things that no longer serve the mission.
It turns out saying "No" can be as powerful, if not MORE powerful than saying "Yes." (click to tweet)
A friend shared a story with me this week about her daughter doing cartwheels during her soccer game and how people on the sidelines, her mama included, were yelling at her to get her head in the game and stop goofing off. She talked about how she didn't like the way she sounded when she took a step back to really listen to what was happening because this isn't really what she believes to be right for her daughter. She actually LOVES that her daughter does cartwheels!
So this got me thinking about how in our businesses and lives, we automatically opt-in for the intensity.
We go straight to the bigger, better, faster, stronger mentality without even realizing it. I have found that in my 8-month journey as an entrepreneur, I am feeling incredible pressure to RAMP UP, hit six figures, grow the list, etc, etc., now that I have the structure of my biz carved out.
But with the pressure, I am also feeling an equally powerful level of resistance because I don't want to feel this way. I don't want to feel frantic and stressed and like I have an octopus wrapping its arms around me no matter how hard I try to squirm from its grasp.
So I ask the questions:
What if we were the ones to model ease in our businesses?
What if we decided that we were going to slow down, feel our way through the process and confidently say no to that which does not serve us?
What if we glorified EASE and feeling good doing our life's work vs. chasing dollars in the wind?
What if we were the ones to set the trend by creating a shift in our mindset and in the way we communicate and market and consume?
You know the old saying about the pebble...
Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects. -Dalai Lama
I want to be the pebble. I want to model creating a life that feels more present, more in alignment and more joy-filled.
I believe that this is why most of us became entrepreneurs in the first place.
This is a blog post about choices. We are the ones who get to choose where our energy goes, what creations we choose give our focus to and what we allow in to our lives. Here's to a little ease along the path.