Articles
The wonder of specificity
Be careful what you wish for…you may get EXACTLY what you've asked for. No more, no less.
A story:
As long as my husband and I have been together and talking about building a life and family as one, we were always going to have a little girl named Lauren. There was no other name for her. Lauren or bust. She would be funny. She would be compassionate. She would be creative. She would have great hair and an even greater heart. Oh sure, we’d probably have another one. But our nights were spent dreaming and whispering about our Lauren. Magical, sweet girl.
Another story:
It was 2004. I was nursing said magical, sweet girl and reading a parenting magazine. I came across an article about Jennifer Torres, the beautiful entrepreneur behind Salsa Babies. She was quoted as saying she built her business with the intention of making the same amount as she did on her maternity benefits (called EI here in Canada). No more, no less.
At that time, my husband and I had sucked in the belly fat that was our budget and were managing to get by just fine, thank you very much, on his income and my EI benefits. YES, YES, YES, I thought as I sniffed the head of my honeysuckle-scented child. That was EXACTLY what I wanted: not an empire, just a business that I can run from home with my babe-in-arms that will cover what I was currently making on benefits. And maybe enough to cover the “incidental thousand” as my friend Krista says. I declared it that night to my husband.
I am incredibly blessed. I will repeat that. I am incredibly blessed: • I have my one dreamy Lauren. • I hit the desired revenue amount in my business within a year and a half of putting out my shingle.
There is not a single day that the joy of my child and the joy of my business don’t make a cameo in my gratitude journal. No. That feels too glib. There is not a single day that I do not thank the deity I call God for the gift of my daughter, my business and my life. Better.
Powerful stuff, this intention-setting.
And:
• It’s likely that there will be no more sweet, magical children.
• It took me a very very long time thereafter to surpass the EI + $1000 revenue amount in my business.
Powerful stuff, this intention-setting.
See where I’m going here?
I was super specific about the order that I placed. I forgot to leave room for ordering dessert. Besides, isn’t it greedy to ask for more?
Nope.
Yeah, I know “more” is a four-letter word. But so is love, hope, and cash. You’re allowed to ask for more. You always have been and you always will be.
As I shared months ago with my dear friend Rachel Cole:
The more I heap on, the more I share. And the more I send out, the more comes back to me.
Our needs scale. Our desires scale. Please make sure that your intentions scale too.
So, by all means, be specific with your dreams + wishes. Get granular AND leave space for more.
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Skepticism vs. Cynicism
Our daughter has a lot of questions lately. Things are shifting, ever-shifting around her and she is trying to get her bearings. Images of caskets. Unattended teddy bears. Flags at half-mast. We have risen to her questions about Newtown in the most age-appropriate way that we know how, as most parents and caregivers have. We make our way in through compassion as we touch on issues that feel too complex for us to grasp. It’s excruciating to witness a little more of her innocence slip away with every tiny bit of information shared. A new layer of bark on the tender sapling that she is.
And of course, it must be said that every chance I get to hold her, I do, overwhelmed with gratitude that I still have this very moment.
It’s our seemingly contradictory role as her parents to meet her needs with love and presence and then stand back to allow her independence and interdependence to flourish. To be her safe place to land as well as her spring board from which to soar.
We are trying to allow our own grief and vulnerability to hold some space and not attach too much to it when the gears shift suddenly to another topic, like Santa.
Tonight will likely mark her last visit to see him with the true belief of his existence in her heart. Her questions have become far more sophisticated, that yawning space between middle childhood and adolescence starting to close. Though, for one last year, her healthy skepticism has yielded to her hopeful belief in magic.
In school, the debate about Santa rages on: the Cynics who admonish those who still believe for being naïve vs the Skeptics who want to understand the truth (even as they have fear, doubts and apprehensions).
Fertile ground for debates of the future.
As the tragedy in Newtown is bound to become further politicized in the dark days ahead, it’s my hope that we can move from cynicism toward skepticism and from there, towards contribution. As ever, the way in is through compassion.
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Things I love in 400 words (2012 edition)
Long, long ago, a friend returned from a trip to Europe with 100s of developed pictures. And I looked at each and every one. Correction: I SAVOURED each and every one. This to me felt significant because I barely look at my own pictures of trips to Europe with that level of reverence. But these were different, these were truly beautiful. I mean, sure, I got nice shots of the Seine, flower carts, rolling hills of vineyards, ancient fountains and the requisite snap of my husband with the Eiffel tower (and other landmarks) sticking out of his head.
The difference, I realized, was that Elly saw beauty in everything. Everything. And though she would argue that she's not a skilled photographer, she was able to CAPTURE that beauty in everything. Everything.
What a gorgeous way to move through the world.
I don’t believe that my gift is in seeing (and capturing) the beauty all around me. But I do see the grace. It’s everywhere, ready to be witnessed and savoured.
I’ve been invited to speak at a Gratitude Tea this Sunday in Toronto. It’s a fundraiser and the intention is to bring someone who has shaped your life to celebrate your gratitude for them. Celebrating gratitude, ummmm, yes please. (And there's still time to get your ticket).
And so, with gratitude on my heart and in my writing, I’ve decided to reprise the post I did a year ago inspired by Elan Morgan (a woman I’m becoming increasingly grateful for).
Grace is a circular blessing. The more grace enters your life, the more grateful you are. The more grateful you are, the more easily grace seems to enter.
- David Brazier
Among other things, I love:
Full-hearted people who show up…even if you barely know them, baked potatoes with greek yogurt + chives, the stiff and uncracked spine of a new book, the soft and dog-eared pages of an old book, making lists, that moment of removing high heels, forgiveness, everything about the Sound of Music, impromptu dinner parties, the stage, generous people who make me want to be more generous, pizza night (though VPN pizza is a close second), witnessing acts of courtesy among strangers, TED red toenails, “it’s handled” emails from my VA, nanaimo bars near Nanaimo, the infectious quality of enthusiasm, wood-burning fires, retiring long-held beliefs that no longer serve, crossing guards who care, garden yoga, heart-to-hearts, reading just the right words at just the right moment, getting my makeup done for me, the ahhhhh of white space, staplers that mean business, the stillness of a stilling question, Erasure’s “A Little Respect” (like, every couple of years), clearing out my inbox, the song of Riedel glasses, new levels of appreciation, bagpipes in parades, the magic that lingers in a group long after a Board of Your Life session has ended, most cheeses beginning with “St.”, the perfectly picked gift destined to thrill someone, the memory of that Christmas Eve in Innsbruck, co-working with Jamie, pressing checkout on Kiva donations, making homemade ravioli (it’s never about the end product), Dropbox, my daughter’s current love of fluorescent pink, eye contact, humility, crisp linens, letters from Santa, firm black plums, the smell of grinding coffee, shifted (and shifting) perspectives, farmers’ markets, finding a full book of stamps, Staedler Triplus Fineliners, the “pop” of a champagne cork, the perplexing power of intention, dividing and sharing hostas, Dad’s borscht, genius ideas straight from the muse that cannot and will not wait to be captured until morning, fresh-picked cherries still warm from the sun, acts of courage, Scandinavian spa silliness with my husband (we are lousy at staying hushed), camping with our wonderful and wonderfully prepared friends (we are lousy at being prepared for camping), April in Paris (or September in Paris, or June in Paris, or...), kitchen dance parties, the way my Instagram feed feels like receiving postcards of peoples’ lives, inari sushi, knowing where the hand-crank flashlight is at all times, beach glass, freedom, sleepovers with my sister, getting to do my heart’s work, coming full circle, the sheer brilliance of The Desire Map and Gratitude Teas.
Yes. More please.
And you, Dear One? What do you love?
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
The Power of Identification, Paint Cans, and TEDxWomen
Two pieces of news.
They are unrelated, but not.
One: I am speaking at TEDxWomen on December 1. (My hands just shook as I typed that: I. Am. Speaking. At. TEDxWomen. On. December 1). So, you know, kinda a big deal.
Two: I finally got rid of the paint cans on my front porch.
Which one would you like to hear about first…the paint cans you say? Well, if you insist.
We have no garage, so unfortunately for our neighbours, we have become, over time, THOSE PEOPLE who store crap on their front porch. You know, stuff that no longer belongs in the house, but is one step away from the proper disposal. Like all bad habits, it was an innocuous first step that became a slippery slope of incremental crap housing. One bag of mortar mix begat the paint cans which begat the long-forgotten wagon which begat the ladder etc.
Getting rid of said paint cans has been on (though admittedly low-down on) the to-do list for longer than I care to share.
Oh, I’ve known where I need to take them. In fact, I’m pretty sure a two minute Google search would tell me who would come and pick them up for me. Safely. It’s just NOT been a priority.
Then one morning, as I was supposed to be writing my TEDxWomen talk (ahem), I received a group email:
Something that frustrates me to no end is not having easy access to information that teaches and shows us how to easily, safely and responsibly dispose of household hazardous waste items.
Been hoarding a bag of batteries in your 'bits and bobs drawer' since high school? Politely ignoring the leftover solvents and paints that are hiding beneath a tarp under your back deck or on your porch from that redecorating project in 2005?
Ummmmmmmmmm. Yes.
I identified with it. Fully and completely. It’s like she was writing with one eye on me. But you can read in these words that this rich context is likely borne of HER own experience, not mine. And it landed. Boom.
So, a short trip to the closest depot one day later, our front porch is (mostly) clear.
Identification leads to action.
So, about that TEDxWomen talk.
I’m tackling a topic that lives dead smack in the middle of my heart: how the Impostor Complex keeps people from their dreams. And to me, this is unacceptable, so I’m taking it down.
At the highest level, I know the talk will be grand: smart stuff, with a whole process, charming stories ‘n everything.
Annnnnnnnnd naturally, MY Impostor Complex is having a field day reminding me how woefully incompetent I am. How there are people far more qualified to speak to the topic than me. How I’m not funny, or smart, or captivating, or…
I’ve been struggling with the words. Procrastinating. Needling the nuances, incanting, sweating, fretting and tearing my hair out. Because it really, really matters to me.
Hell on the ego, but heavenly fertile ground for developing honest and authentic content.
The more clever I notice myself wanting to become, or smarter, or funnier, or deeper or more poetic, the more I feel disconnected from the truth that MUST imbue my words. Which disconnects me from the point. Which will disconnect the audience from me.
Also not acceptable. Not for the work I need to do.
So here’s what the audience at TEDxWomen Isfeld can expect:
I will share what I know of my own experience with the Impostor Complex and the process I use with the hundreds of clients I’ve worked with. I will share in my way, in my language, and in my voice and some will identify with my words (and some will not). And some will take action (and some will not).
And you? Are you giving people the chance to experience you? Or are you hiding behind clever, or funnier, or deeper or more poetic, too?
My request: bring the fullest, most truthful expression of you, glorious YOU. Your people will identify and then take action. Promise.
And isn’t that the point?
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
Today is End Sex Trafficking Day
As the title of this post suggests, today IS End Sex Trafficking Day. Can you believe there even needs to be a day dedicated to this? That such horror exists? It does.
Women and children are bought and sold every 30 seconds around the world.
How many ways can we say: unacceptable?
When Erin Giles reached out to me in the spring to tell me about End Sex Trafficking Day and her desire to curate a book to help end this madness, about the project, I was an immediate and effusive, YES.
Buy a copy of End Sex Trafficking for $20 — a collection of 60 essays on love, knowledge + freedom by trailblazers like Seth Godin, Danielle La Porte, Jonathan Fields and yours truly (I wrote about love: "The Wisdom of the Beaten Heart") — and all of the authors proceeds goes to the Not For Sale Campaign an organization fighting to abolish slavery every single day.
None of the essay contributors, the publisher or the editor is taking any money from sales. It’s not just a book, it's a chance to change the world.
More than 27 million human beings are enslaved in the world in 2012. So — you want to stand up for freedom...today?
Let’s get this pressing message to all the hearts and lit up screens we can.
Thank you, you free and compassionate soul.
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.
It's a GOLDEN Day!!
Creative? (Check.)
Female entrepreneur? (Yup.)
Loving what you do? (With all my heart.)
Longing to form beautiful alliances? (Oh yes)
Missing the feeling of abundance when it comes to your offerings/finances/opportunities/client love? (Absolutely.)
Welcome in The Golden Ticket!
With you, your business, your essence and your deepest desires in mind, Michelle Ward and I have lovingly created what we think is unlike anything that's been done before. We've spent a combined 100 hours just on crafting the program and offer alone, as we refused to rest (just ask our husbands) on anything that was less than a stellar, unique, engaging, ground-breaking, lightbulb-moment-inducing program. The number of times we Skype high-fived and happy-danced is actually quite preposterous.
From the moment you get on the first call, to the moment we clink our glasses in NYC right after you have your Golden Time in the Spotlight (aka a stage in a black box theatre!!!) you will feel held, cared for, championed, inspired, motivated and absolutely clear on how to move your business forward in a way that hand-holds who you are, what you stand for, and who you serve.
We only created 30 Golden Tickets (we want to keep this intimate), and 10 have already been claimed at posting time, so go claim yours… we can't wait to serve you.
Click here to become a Golden Goddess.
And speaking of Golden Time in the Spotlight: my time with Jamie Ridler!!!!!
Joy oh joy!!!! I was invited to speak with my friend Jamie Ridler on her beloved podcast: Creative Living with Jamie. I’m seriously honoured and deeply grateful. First of all, the very ESSENCE of Jamie is golden (spend just one minute listening to her voice, reading her words or being in her presence and you’ll know EXACTLY what I mean). And secondly, she just has the most incredible way of inviting you to go deeper, think deeper, feel deeper with most miraculous blend of sister energy, Obi Wan wisdom, sparkly shimmer, and show-stopping Rock Star. She is truly remarkable and truly masterful.
We spoke about creativity, the (okay, MY) creative process, and some strategies to get.it.done.
I hope you’ll give it a listen. I hope you’ll sign up for Jamie’s podcast. I hope you’ll be inspired.
And here’s what I really hope you take away:
I believe that you were born to create. I want you to believe that too. I want you to believe there is untold and unexpressed beauty within you yearning to be released. It needs to trust that you will not judge its imperfections, nor try to force it into something it’s not. That you will love it for what it is. And that in time, when you have nurtured this tender new growth into the fulsome being that it wants to be, that you will lovingly release it into the world, so that others may rejoice in the beauty: of your words. Of your song. Of your silverwork. Of your adornment. Of your art.
I want you to create for you. And THEN spread it around. With joy and abandon.
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.