I got the call at 1:37 in the afternoon last week.
It was from my Dad.
He was calling from his mobile and something was wrong, I could feel it.
My mom’s health had unexpectedly taken a rapid decline. She wasn’t sleeping or eating well. She was dealing with mood swings. My dad was worried.
As I listened, I took a deep breath, and got ready to step into something completely unknown.
Something that, honestly, was scary.
It happens to everyone. The specifics are different, of course.
One minute you think you know what your day, week or month in your business is going to look like. And the next minute, it’s all gets blown apart.
You get a phone call.
You come down with a nasty virus.
Your child has an accident.
Your car breaks down.
Your spouse loses a job.
The list is endless.
It’s so easy to just slip away from your business when this happens.
To lose yourself in the caring for the other person or the thing that’s happening. To spin into worry about the future. Or to tip back into replaying similar situations in the past.
Back when I was at my corporate job and my best friend had a stroke, I moved through communicating with my boss in a fog. I used to think it’d be great to own your own business because then, if something ever happened like that again, I’d be my own boss. I could shutter up for days, weeks, whatever I wanted, and not have to worry about reporting in…
Now, as a business owner, though, what I know is there’s a deep sense of ownership and caring inherent in the business.
I’ve worked to create a safe space for my clients and customers, to meet their needs. I don’t want to abandon it.
So how do you find harmony between staying present with an unknown, and possibly scary, situation and caring for your business?
Align With Your Heart
The beautiful thing about living and working in alignment with your heart is that it’s always there, always offering guidance - if we can remember to take time to check in. By checking in with my heart, I was able to support my family by staying present during phone calls even though I live several hours away. Breath by breath. News update by news update. My heart let me know when it was time to drive to visit and when it was time to leave; how and when to check in. What questions to ask.
With my business too, it’s telling me where I need to focus, and what I can cut back on and what I can realistically undertake this week. Checking in with your heart more frequently than you might normally will keep you grounded, steady and able to attend to whatever presents itself in that moment, which is all you can ever really do anyway.
Compassion
Show yourself an inordinate amount of compassion. Sometimes I good at this; sometimes not so much. Last week I found myself complaining about not being able to get stuff done I wanted to, despite being at my desk. It was my oldest daughter who reminded me I had a lot going on and needed to give myself a break. Don’t forget to give yourself permission and space to be with the situation your facing, be gentle with yourself wherever you find yourself.
Remember Rest
This past week hasn’t been as restful as it normally is. I’d fall into a heavy sleep early and then wake up predawn, unable to go back to sleep. So, I scheduled in quick 20-minute naps whenever I could. Just setting aside the smallest amount of time to care for your own needs can give you what you need to keep going.
Lean on Your Friends
Soon after that phone call, I posted in two of my most trusted online communities, asking for healing energy and support. Within minutes I started receiving notes and texts from friends and community members. Even if you are dealing with a situation from afar, lean on trusted friends. A heart-centered outpouring of support and help you feel grounded and held while facing the situation.
In the end, there is no end.
Things are looking so, so much better for my mom, but we’re still navigating her return to health.
And life continues.
I have client calls this week, and I’m scheduled to take a week of vacation out of the country.
Maybe you have a free consultation or two set up, the start of your group healing program, or the launch of a new offer.
I’ll keep checking in with my heart, giving myself a healthy dose of compassion and rest, and asking for support.
What I know for sure is that if you can just stay aligned with your heart, you can be present for your loved one or the situation your facing and your business, despite all that’s going on.
And to me, that’s nothing short of miraculous.