Wish Them Well {When They Make You Cry}

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This week I had an unforgettable experience teaching a workshop at the Uplift festival in Byron Bay. It was such a deep privilege to be part of this event which makes a stand for reconciliation, healing and connection for the purpose of peace on earth. I thought I had my teaching nerves under control (I’ve done it for years now) yet I was more nervous than I’ve ever been stepping into the experience of sharing with such a big crowd inside my local community (it’s funny how it’s somehow scarier to talk to familiar faces than it is to go to a foreign city where no one knows you). It was a case of new level, new devil. Leading up to the event, I had to face and slay every dragon imaginable – including ‘who are you to be doing this?’, ‘what makes you qualified to deliver?’ and ‘why did they pick you when they had so many others you know to choose from who are smarter/more experienced/brighter/funnier/more awesome/insert-great-adjective….

My workshop was on the subject of rebuilding the nervous system. Being a physiology nerd, it incorporated my favourite things – teaching about the nervous system and how to manage overwhelm so that we can incorporate more awareness into our daily lives. I love supporting people to overcome their stasis, get unstuck, move forward and rise above their limitations. We teach what we need to know, and I can certainly attest to the importance of this subject in my own life, having a fragile and sensitive nervous system myself. I didn’t think many people would be interested in this subject, but I was wrong. People love to know how to manage the modern epidemic that is information overwhelm.

Throughout the festival I had the luxury of being able to listen in on the most incredible speakers who shared their stories of childhood torture, losing their children, being broken and vulnerable and finding their way through darkness to rise into a triumphant life. The theme of overcoming adversity wove its way through the whole festival, the level of courage and vulnerability that surfaced was heart-wrenching.

Scarlett Lewis shared her story about her brave 6 year old son Jesse, who sat by his slain teacher and told his classmates to ‘run’ as a gunman reloaded his gun after a shooting spree at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Jesse didn’t make it, but 9 of his classmates did. Scarlett has chosen to share a message to forgive and choose love over anger in a situation where there are usually no winners. The utter tenderness and softening that comes from such sharing was enough to induce tears in almost every person at the event.

For three days of the festival, leading up to the fourth and final day which was my day of teaching, I also had the interesting experience of keeping my anticipation at bay, managing my nervousness around teaching to a potentially large crowd and being able to soak up and enjoy the extraordinary beauty of the event. When it finally came time to deliver, I needn’t have worried so much because I enjoyed every minute of sharing something I love, with everything that I had to give. All the fears, anxieties and self doubts were washed away and the whole experience was worth it when a lady came up to me after the workshop and said that she’d experienced a profound healing during my workshop and that her visit to Australia (from Brazil) had been worthwhile just for that experience.

If people knew just how much courage it takes to stand in front of a crowd of people with an earnest message that you’re sharing from the heart and some hard-won life experience, they’d be less likely to criticise. My advice for dealing with hecklers is to wish them well, even when they do set out to tear you down and make you cry. Focus on your message and how important it is to share it. After experiencing my first heckler, I’m making a commitment to exercising compassion for the suffering that someone must be in to intentionally want to run someone else down. We only get one precious life and if the gift in your message is one that will benefit others, it’s a gift that will always be worth sharing. It’s a gift that keeps on giving and one that will never run out.

Commit to sharing your message and giving your gifts and don’t be afraid of your vulnerability dear loved one.

P.S. Did you check out last week’s article about the secrets to a stellar 2015? I’m reposting it this week because I know how busy this time of the year can be and I wanted to make sure you got it. I’ve got your back sweetness. 2015 is definitely your year to shine!

THREE SECRETS TO A STELLAR 2015

2015 is right round the corner. It’s the perfect time to start setting your intentions in the lead up to our festive season so that you can start the new year on a high note, with all the support you need.

Here are my top three secrets to a new year that fills your heart to overflowing

SECRET #1:

Get Crystal Clear on your Soul Purpose

In 1989 I wrote my curriculum vitae which began with a mission statement that read ‘I will support my fellow humans to live their soul purpose and reach their potential on every level, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.’

I had no idea how I would live my mission statement. I started by completing a Physiotherapy degree but it became quickly apparent that this qualification would only support me to achieve the physical and some of the mental aspects of my mission statement. My desire for holistic healing guided me to yoga teaching which in turn lead me to coaching. Twenty years after writing my mission statement, I feel blessed every day that I have the luxury of being able to support people in holistic ways. My business is a direct reflection of that statement but for so long I was unclear about why I wasn’t satisfied as a therapist when all I wanted to do was support people. It’s taken years for me to understand how important it was to be able to bring all of me to work which includes the spiritual and emotional aspects around supporting others. I couldn’t have found a better match than the coaching profession for this and I would have felt unfulfilled if I’d stayed in the old world of ‘settling’.

Getting clear on your soul purpose requires an honest look at your talents and genius zones. It might need some support from personality profiling, feedback, coaching and mentorship. How about booking in for a soul purpose discovery session with me? It’s $220.00 AUD for two hours of complete focus on you and your genius zone.

If you’re interested in coming along for some live inspiration around pursuing your passion and finding your purpose, I’m humbled to be speaking at @TheHolisticProject ‘s motivational event for female entrepreneurs and creatives in the beautiful Byron Shire in Feb next year! I’ll be speaking alongside some seriously inspiring women in business and creativity, as well as some amazing musicians including @gabrielandcecilia from The Voice! For more details and to purchase your tickets now head to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pursue-your-passion-tickets-14597681057.

If you’re not already clear on your soul purpose, this is the perfect event for you.

If you’re still not clear on your soul purpose, pick up a copy of Marcus Buckingham’s ‘Now Discover Your Strengths’:

This book guided me towards creating a business based on my strengths which were revealed as – ‘spiritual strategy’. So far, this definition has provided an anchor point for me to stay focused on what my core business provides. It’s been a priceless resource!
SECRET #2:
Make Plans and Commitments for taking Solid, Inspired Action

There’s never been a truer statement than this: ‘the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.’ There’s no good praying for miracles in 2015 if you’re not prepared to roll up your sleeves and take some inspired action to meet the miracles halfway down the hallway sister! This year, I made some radical changes in the actions I took. I took a few steps that were heart-stoppingly frightening and nail-bitingly nerve-wracking. I talked to people I’d never been brave enough to talk to, showed up for things I’d been wanting to show up for but hadn’t ever had the guts and said yes to things even when every cell in my body was begging for greater safety and security. I also stepped out of an important code I’d been operating in and broke a vow I’d been held captive by. I’ll elaborate on this in secret number three. Making plans and commitments also saw me using planners for every part of my life and business. I’d always been resistant to them, but I am convinced that planning was one of the main reasons I marked three big milestones off my list of ‘dreams’ that became reality.

One of the fabulous resources that bought a lot of miracles into my year was Leonie Dawson’s planner. She releases one every year to help you plan out your year and these gorgeous creations are seriously magic (don’t say I didn’t warn you!).

I also loved being part of Leonie’s academy which provides a lot of practical tools for wise women in business. You can join the academy and find out more here:

SECRET #3:
Consciously Create Beliefs that Serve You and the Greater Good

In 2014 I broke some unconscious vows that I’d been holding onto that were no longer serving me. This wasn’t exactly comfortable but it created some changes that were completely necessary. One of the unconscious vows I’d made was that ‘it wasn’t spiritual to make money.’ Breaking out of that un-resourceful cycle came the day I realised that there was absolutely nothing spiritual about not being able to afford to look after my children without incessantly worrying about how I’d make ends meet. I replaced that vow with another one that has served my sons and me a lot more resourcefully – that I have absolute trust that divine intelligence is always working to bring infinite abundance (which indeed, it has). I have so much faith that we are being looked after and the truth is, the more faith I have, the more abundant I become.

I had a little help with my wealth mantras from the fabulous Denise Duffield-Thomas and her coaching programs on how to clear money blocks.