One Simple Wish: For You to Be You
If I could change one thing in the world what would it be?
That’s a question that I’ve been asked a few different ways this week. Although I’ve considered it before, this time I paused to really sink into the question and feel for my answer.
Honestly there so many things in my heart, but what I’d really like right now is for every single soul on this earth to feel free to be their own unique beautiful self.
That may sound too simple in the face of border crises or global economic inequality, but much of the world’s cruelty comes from fear and perceived lack of love and acceptance.
I believe that each of us was put on this earth with a unique calling, something we’re meant to positively contribute to this existence.
We can only really know and fulfill that calling by being wholly ourselves.
Caroline McHugh gave this powerful TED talk I’ve shared with writing retreatants before called The Art of Being Yourself. In it, she talks about those leaders, those singular people - like Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, or Steve Jobs – that so many of us admire. She says we often call those people larger than life. They have a radiance and we’re drawn to them, she says, precisely because they’ve figured out to be authentically and exactly themselves. The figuring out is part of your journey.
Children know exactly what they like and don’t like. They know what they’re good at and seek out those activities naturally. They speak their mind, and their essence is apparent. Soon enough though, well-meaning family, culture, and social systems work to push that down through socialization. By a certain point, most children will have learned a certain way they should be, how they should act.
Being yourself is a radical rejection of the social norm. The payoff is you get to share your gifts and talents with the world in a way that lets you feel most at home and, at the same time, serves the greatest good.
Embracing this is a coach or creative is essential to building a business that feels like home, and, I’d argue, it’s the path to creating a business that will reach its highest potential. You can’t build a business based on a version of yourself that’s not somehow all of you. Consciously or not, if you’re trying to subtly imitate other coaches, are leaving half your gifts and talents on the table, or are pursuing a niche because that’s what so-and-so’s done and she made money at, it just doesn’t work.
Oh, it might work for a while, but it’s not sustainable. In the end, your soul self will know it’s not you, and something will feel off from the start.
What if you could incorporate your passion for geocaching into your coaching business somehow?
What if you love baking and reading Angel cards and making meaningful connections and you could turn that into a business?
What if you love Taylor Swift music? Or writing? Or making people laugh?
You can turn your passions and your deep essence of YOU on in your business. Angela Lauria owner and founder of The Author Incubator once shared how she started her business after she realized she loved reading self-help books. Now she gets to do that all the time, all while helping aspiring authors write and publish their books to make a difference in the world.
You can build your creative or coaching business, or anything else for that matter, by incorporating all of you in it.
You do it the same way you create a life that feels like home, by noticing what feels good to your soul-self and doing more of that.
It’s really that simple.
If you’re a meaning and purpose driven coach or creative and would like help incorporating more of your own unique self into your business, consider reaching out to me for a free consultation where we can spend a few minutes discussing ideas you have, what you need and what working together might look like. As always, you’re under no obligation to go on and work with me.
I love connecting with people working to turn their dreams into something real.