Finding Your Own Beat

Following on from my post this morning ..... (looks as though the writing bug is back for a visit lol!)

There is more I'd like to share with you ....

Now is the time to march to the beat of your own drum. What makes your heart sing? What sets your soul on fire? How would you really love to spend your days? What fills your heart up that it's full to overflowing?

We are being called upon to stand up, to rise up, to carve our own paths, to embrace our uniqueness, to use our creativity, to connect with each other, to learn, grow and share from each other. To step outside of where it is comfortable.

The energy is changing. We don't have to keep doing things the way we have been. We have a choice. We can choose to change or we can choose to stay the same. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

But what if you went after what's calling your heart and soul? What if you went and did the thing you've been longing to do - the course, the business, the retreat, working with the mentor, the coach?

If you don't, it will always be a "what if?". And "what if's" don't get us very far. The only way to learn and grow is to take a chance on yourself. To start somewhere. To make a decision. To begin. To take the first step. And it may be something small, seemingly insignificant to start with. Although nothing is ever really insignificant. All the pieces have a place and they all fit together.

Perhaps it's a conversation you need to have, perhaps it's a matter of getting the idea out of your head and onto paper, perhaps you need to take yourself outside into the fresh air.

Ask yourself -

What is it that I really want?

Where am I now?

What can I do right now to take me one step forward towards my vision?

Who can I talk to and share my goal/dream/vision/desire?

Who can support me with this?

It's only when we ask ourselves these questions and take the time to answer them, that we can begin to formulate a picture of what we want, otherwise we keep showing up, doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result and not sure why it's not happen.

All it takes is one single choice.

Sending love, light & gratitude

Shanelle

The Juggle Continued .....

After hitting publish on my last post, I realised there some other things I want to shed some light on, yet failed to. I think they warrant an additional post to explore a little further, after all this juggling thing is multi-faceted.

No amount of scheduling, planning or discipline seems to abate the "Mum guilt". It's always there hanging out in the background. I have learned that just because it's there, doesn't mean it needs to be paid any attention. Quite often a simple acknowledgement of its presence is enough to keep it at bay.

I have come to love the variety each day brings. This is a pretty big thing for someone who has always needed certainty and comfort to feel safe in this world. Perhaps it's because I am experiencing variety in the comforts of my own environment, otherwise I may be penning a different story.

I love the freedom of making my own rules and deciding how I will spend my time, rather than being dictated to by a clock. Something I was reading the other day, indicated that there's a massive shift away from the traditional format of office work and a rising trend of flexible, own businesses, working from home. It's about time the rest of the world caught onto reality.

Spending time with my kids is one of the greatest gifts I've experienced. Simply just being available to listen, to talk, to play, to cuddle, to laugh, to comfort is a whole new concept and a wonderful gift to be cherished each day. I see just how far I've come this time around, how different things are. I've realised that a mother grows into her role just as her children grow into each size of clothing.

Please do not look at me and think that I am a Super Mum. I am not. I am simply someone who has a passion for more than one thing and have been fortunate enough to work out a way to do it all. And most importantly in my own space and time. While may bank balance may not indicate the wealth I have around me, my life is full of abundance and richness across the board. I do not want for anything. All my needs are met. And for me, that is happiness, bliss and achievement all rolled into one.

If you are looking for a way out, a way to escape, a way to create your own reality then start day dreaming. Start writing down your deepest desires and wishes (I'm well aware this may seem awfully airy fairy, but if you don't know what you want in life, how will you know when it shows up on your doorstep?) Dream and dream big. Dream vividly and in full colour. Start thinking "what if?"

When you know what you want in life, the universe has a funny way of conspiring to make it happen. How would you love to spend your days?

Breaking Up With My All or Nothing Mentality

This past week has been quite a turning point for me personally and professionally. Last week I wrote about having my shit together for the arrival of our baby. And yes physically speaking, I am prepared for his arrival. I have all the "things" needed to take care of him.

What I didn't realise was that my mental preparation wasn't quite where it needed to be. A conversation with a close friend and fellow coach woke me up to the fact that I was gripping rather tightly to an "all or nothing" mentality, after she rejected the invitation to my pity party (Do yourself a favour and find friends who can snap you out of your doom and gloom thinking, not join in with you!).

Somewhere along the lines I'd decided I could only be Mum or could only be a professional. And if I was Mum, it meant I had to do EVERYTHING on my own. I thought my business needed to get parked in the corner whilst I carried on being Mum of a newborn and an energetic 4 year old.

What a MASSIVE awakening to realise that I can do both.

For too long this "all or nothing" mentality has played the devil's advocate in my life. Not only was it affecting my current thinking; when I took a huge step back and took a bird's eye view, it was affecting almost EVERY aspect - my business, my health, my relationship, my parenting, my creativity, my wealth. I was placing so much pressure on myself.

When I say "all or nothing" what  I mean is I was either in there gung ho, pumped up with my heart's desire to achieve an outcome instantly. When I wasn't instantly gratified in pursuit of my feat it became nothing. I  stopped taking action.

The learning I've taken away from this is:

"how can I create consistency in the areas that are important to me right now?" 

Consistency is the key to unlock the doors that I had shut down on myself. Having the ability to take small bites of the pie regularly, rather than trying to shove the whole damn thing in my mouth in one go is the approach required.

Right now it's not about having it all, it's about creating a lifestyle that is sustainable and a fit for my family and I. It's not about turning up, leaving and taking a break at set times, working under pressure, meeting deadlines, working for someone else or having to jump because someone in a higher position told me to. I am me. I get to create my own way of doing things. I finally get it!

Acknowledging this has opened up so many possibilities. No longer am I thinking I can't have my business and a baby. Now I am thinking how can I keep my business ticking over while I am taking care of my baby.?

You all know that my passion is to help other mums adjust to motherhood. I can't just put a lid on that jar and shove it in the back of the pantry hoping I get to use it before its expiry date. My passion pulses through my veins just like my blood, it's there morning, noon and night, it excites me, it invigorates me and most of all it lights me up. I can't switch it on or off willy nilly, but I can let the flame continue to burn gently as I get through the first few months of being a Mum to two wonderful children.

The thing I find interesting, is when you are ready, the messages start to appear before you. My friend also passed on this article for me to read:
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140423172238-6435-talented-women-please-do-not-quit?fb_action_ids=10151955477686580&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

It was like confirmation and the timing was impeccable. Do yourself a favour, grab a cuppa and allow 10 minutes to read it for yourself.

So how did I get to this point of epiphany and ideas exploding like fireworks in my mind? With the help of my friend, I was able to get my head out of my ass and stopped staring at the next 6 -9 months with gloom and doom; feeling all sorts of helpless and compiling my excuses list.

What she got me to do was take myself out to 5 years from now and take a look at what was happening for me in my business and my family. How did I want things to be? Who was I helping in my business? What was I doing during a normal day? Once I could see that, we stepped to 2 years from now and did the same thing and then lastly 6 months from now.

As we worked through, it became clear I could progress steadily towards my ultimate dream of establishing a perinatal wellness centre on the Capricorn Coast. A sancutary where mums can come to connect with other mums, a place where there is a midwife on hand to talk through any issues, a place that is serene and calming, a place that has yoga and meditation classes for mums, mothers groups and workshops and the possibilities continue to flow.

What hit me as well is that I don't need to wait a year or two years to bring this dream to fruition. I can start now. I can keep writing and sharing my message. I can record videos and write books and articles. I can enlist the help of other bloggers to guest post to give my readers something to read each week without there being pressure on me to have to write. I can embrace technology and begin to automate some aspects of my business. I can continue to grow and flourish by reading and educating myself. I can continue to coach and run workshops here and there. I can let the flame of my dream continue to burn. I can make a difference.