Yesterday, I met an inspiring woman - she is a true healer. Her name is Julia and she runs a meditation lifestyle studio in a town near by, called Jolie. She holds workshops, classes, teaches rowing for fitness, yoga, and does meditation sessions. She is an inspiration to me, because she said that 10 years ago, she started out just doing one-on-one sessions (the way that I am starting my health coaching practice) and eventually built up over time to the point where she could open a center (which is what I want to do in the future). I had the chance to spend an hour with her, one on one, where we talked about energy, protecting your own, holding some things sacred, and embodying a vision of who you want to be in the future. It was amazing.
She said a few things that really stuck to me:
1) When you are starting something new, like a new business, that you believe so passionately in, there will be doubt...self-doubt, others saying things that may be a reflection of your self-doubt, and so on. But you have a job to do -- protect your creation. Protect it like you would protect and nurture a newborn baby, because it needs that nurturing and protection as it grows, and as you grow, into what it wants to be. You have a process to go through, and during that process, you must be kind to yourself and kind to your creation.
2) Hold sacred what you know to be true. For me, there is a space in my house that is where my work is done. It is my sacred space, because it is where I create, where my ideas come to fruition, and where I am able to meet with the women that I am helping on a weekly basis. But I have to protect this sacred space - my children LOVE to put their things (their art, their clothes, their toys) everywhere. And they LOVE to take the colorful paper and pens that are from my space. But I have to set boundaries - because this is my sacred space. If I don't hold that to be true, then neither will anyone else. Why is this important? Because I give all day long, and the kids have a TON of other places that they call their own.. I need this space and I am creating this space for my work. This is what I need in order to create that which I believe in, and therefore I have to hold it sacred.
3) Embody the successful person you see in the future, now. This was powerful to me. I have doubt - I suppose we all do as entrepreneurs to some extent. Why? Because I am just starting out, I don't have a 100 clients, and I don't have a steady, set, stream of income coming in from my work, yet. Because people say what I am doing is a hobby, when I believe it is way more than a hobby. I believe it is the start of something BIG. So how do I get rid of that doubt? How do I free my mind of that doubt to create space in order to make big things happen? I embody the woman I see 5 years down the road, who does have 100 clients and who does have that steady stream of income coming in from doing what she believes is amazing. Think like that woman. Talk like that woman. Dress like that woman. Act like that woman. The more I can do this, the more I can make those big things happen.
So here's to that woman -- the one who can protect her creation, hold sacred that which she knows to be true, and embody the future today. Happy Memorial Day Weekend my friends. I hope you get to spend it doing something special, while honoring those who have fought for us to be able to do what we do each day.