You are never alone.
Even though you may feel “alone” right now, you’re not.
You’re always guided, supported, loved. And you know what else? You have messengers and messages on your path ALL THE TIME, leading the way for you to help you design the business and life that you deserve.
Let me tell you a story about how I learned this lesson.
Back in 2006, I was feeling pretty crappy. I had achieved all signs of outward success – good job with a $175,000 income attached to it, marriage to my husband Steven, high-rise apartment overlooking the Hudson River in New York City, global travel, and all the Coach bags I could buy.
Perfect, right?
Not for me. I felt stuck, sad, lost.
The problem: I wasn’t using my gifts and talents in the way I was put on this planet to do. And I was paying for it dearly. To numb my pain, I fueled my addictions: alcohol, work and needing to be liked by everyone.
Something magical happened in early January of 2007. A card landed in my mailbox at 75 West End Avenue in Manhattan. It was a belated holiday card from my Uncle Vincent and Aunt Dottie (my mom Susan’s sister). In the homemade card were photos of my aunt and uncle with their children and grandchildren along with a holiday message.
And on the back of the card was a poem that would change the course of my career and life forever.
This is what that poem said:
“Tread in solitude your pathway
Quiet heart and undismayed
You will know things strange, mysterious
Which to you no voice has said
While the crowd of petty hustlers
Grasps at vain and meager things
You will see a great world rising
Where soft, sacred music rings
Leave the dusty road to others,
Spotless keep your soul and bright
As the radiant ocean’s surface
When the sun is taking flight.”
– V Schoffel
A chill ran through my body when I read those words. I knew I couldn’t pretend any longer that the life I was living was okay. It simply wasn’t. Even though it was “fine” and very much in line with the “status quo,” it just wasn’t okay with me. You only get one life. I’m not going to waste it living a mediocre existence.
So I put that poem up on my vision board in my apartment and looked at it everyday for more than 10 months.
It was as if those words were beckoning me forward into my next chapter EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THAT CHAPTER LOOKED LIKE. I was scared out of my mind, but that message told me I was going to be okay.
On Friday, November 2, 2007, I quit my 6-figure corporate job without another job lined up or a real clue what I would do next.
I was in the midst of a 200-hour yoga teacher training course and had never felt that good in my body in my entire life. Going to work in an uninspiring office to spend the majority of my waking hours working in a job that simply wasn’t for me just wasn’t an option anymore. So I quit. Yes, it was hard. But, I vowed from that day forward to follow the path to happiness.
It was that MESSAGE I received from my Uncle and Aunt that showed me the way. I’m sure of it. Never discount the power of messages and messengers on your path (both as a receiver and as a giver!).
I shared that story with my Uncle Vincent at his 70th birthday party last year. I wanted him to know what an impact his choice to include that poem (he’s a very spiritual man) had on my life. I wanted to say thanks.
I would not have the life I have now if he hadn’t been brave enough to share.
This is EXACTLY why I do what I do in my business. The amazing piece is now that I’ve consciously built my business and life from the ground up, I’m poised to earn SO much more money than I ever would if I had stayed in that job that I was afraid to leave. The money is this beautiful side effect of getting gutsy and creating a business that revolves around my natural gifts and talents AND being a smart, savvy marketer and CEO (I’ve had to learn how to step into this on my entrepreneurial journey and you will too).
My business crossed the 6-figure mark last year and we are on track to at least double our revenue in 2013. The best part? I AM HAPPY and am confident that the work I’m doing now is sustainable and nurturing on the deepest, most sacred level. I WANT TO KEEP DOING IT. It’s what I’m here to do. It’s why I’m on this planet.
This is what I’ve been looking for my entire life. Finding my calling and then living it in the world … NOTHING IS SWEETER. It gives me the chance to work with spectacular clients, live in a beautiful home and community with my family (because I run my business online I was able to leave NYC for the Berkshires in Massachusetts and my biz grew as a result), and expand as a human being.
I share this story so you can see what is possible for YOU.
Let’s bring this idea home now …
Are you excited about your work? Does it fill you on many levels – emotionally, physically, spiritually and financially?
What messages and messengers are in your life right now that want to help you move into your next level?
What kind of messenger are you and what are you here to say?
Questions to ponder … questions to play with …
Stay open. Stay nimble.
xoxo
P.S. Keep your eyes and ears open because I’ve created something spectacular for you if you’re ready to boost your mission, message, marketing and money. It’s a game changer, life changer, legacy builder.