I’ve always been taught and tried to live by the words “Never Take Action From Fear, Only Inspiration”.
I want to make a little declaration here, just to make it official for myself. I have been playing with this one for a long time, but little smidgens of fear kept me from actually doing it. Now I feel inspired to take action and it feels intuitive and right (for me!).
Today, I am cancelling the remaining newsletters that I get from the marketing gurus. I just don’t think i can stand to read any more- There is only one newsletter that I am keeping my subscription to, written by somebody I know and trust.
It’s my first and earliest piece of Spring Cleaning, my favorite time to clear out what’s not working anymore.
I have nothing against those who teach online marketing- I have gotten lots of ideas and how-to information on things that were really helpful for me at certain junctures. I am truly appreciative for the generous sharing of all of the information that was given so freely. But it’s time to clean up what I receive.
What happened for me is that I started to get disconnected from my business and what I most loved about it- I got disconnected from my values and my spiritual perspective and my intuitive knowing and guidance- all of these combined are what I rely on to make the best possible choices in any given moment, for myself and my clients.
After almost 3 years of trying to learn every possible angle around online marketing (I come from decades of a private-practice model as a licensed psychotherapist), I am creating more space around myself. In business, I need to make more room for my Intuitive Body, once again.
The danger for me was that every newsletter, every online offer, every new product that I saw announced in these mailings led me to became more externally focused, than inwardly guided and connected. That created a huge emphasis on income and making more more more- I lost my own compass, the connection that I have always had that makes me absolutely LOVE my work, love my clients, and love myself in the midst of it.
I don’t want more stuff. I am not aspiring to 7-figures. What really finished all of this for me was being on a f’r’ee teleclass Monday night for somebody’s new big ticket product. I was so incredibly turned off- I started to count how many times she used the word “authentic” and how many times she kept reminding her listeners how “candid” and “honest” she was being with them. Instead of being moved by her “personal story” about why she wanted us to succeed, I felt offended and emotionally grossed out.
Please understand- I really respect other people’s successes and always feel excited by anyone who exceeds their sense of limitation and creates a full and joyful life for themselves and others. But there is something about the way I am being marketed to that is not serving me. Anything that consistently distracts me from my inner-knowing, from my values, anything that keeps focusing on income has become like another addiction in a sense.
I felt I had to read the latest offer, maybe should try the latest trend. I was vulnerable to this because I had been doing business one to one in private practice mode for so long, and I wanted to expand my business and my income. But it’s kind of blown up in my face. It’s too easy to get caught in the more, bigger, better and I gotta take off the red shoes before I dance myself into crazy!
Anyways- I am going back to the stuff that has always consistently inspired me, uplifted me, and allowed me to bring that to my clients in ways that feel really good. I know it’s better for me and for them. As somebody who has struggled with an eating disorder (a form of addiction I believe) it’s good to recognize when something is feeling “off” for me, and to go back to a grounded, more spiritually aligned place.
It’s funny- I find my best ideas when I am far from anything resembling business or marketing. I find my inspiration when reading my favorite books on metaphysics and spiritual practice, when I am outdoors in nature, when I am goofing around with my teens, or our dogs. All of this expands me, and I can create and offer something that really feels right. I can come from heart and connection without getting so attached to outcome (like number of subscribers to my ezine, or number of ebooks sold, or overall income). It’s much better for me.
I still will subscribe to Mark Silver’s Heart of Business marketing messages because it feels really aligned with who I want to be in the market. I think he is brilliant and the real deal. And he never ever talks about how much money he makes, or the latest big-ticket toy, or tries to manipulate me in any way.
I truly pray that I can go back to “keeping it real”- I feel like there were moments when I was like one of those cartoon characters with big dollar-signs in their eyes- remember those? Very Warner-Brothers in my memory (but then I was never a big Saturday morning cartoon kid…).
Ok- My heart feels lighter, my inbox is cleaner, I am calmly open to any and all inspiration that come to me from my connction to the Divine and the world around me.
As we move into Spring- begin to take note of what you might want to part with. What can you let go of that will leave you feeling lighter, cleaner, fresher and more truly “you”? It can be clutter, or something big like a really draining relationship.
We will talk more about this in the coming weeks. Right now, I am seeing shoots of green in my garden, more sky and more daylight. More mud and less snow. Ahhh, relief.
xox
Lisa
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