Category: Intuition

Categories
Divine Feminine Intuition Mindset

Releasing fear about using your voice

I am quickly learning that the biggest barrier to entry into podcasting is not something new to me or my fellow entrepreneurs… fear.

Fears like… If I put myself out there and speak my truth, what if others don’t like it? What if I am judged? What will I say that hasn’t been said before? What I have to say doesn’t matter. My voice isn’t important. I am not allowed to talk about the things I want to. ⠀
⠀
There are so many stories that we tell ourselves that are just not true.⠀
⠀
If you are getting just the smallest nudge to put your voice out there, I encourage you to step into those fears. These small steps have personally helped me lean into discomfort and find empowerment:⠀
⠀
1. Send more voice messages. Step out of the comfort of typing and start using your voice. You will be amazed to see how quickly you can form meaningful connections with others by swapping out text for your voice!⠀
⠀
2. Exercise those vocal cords. Sing aloud in the shower, sit in your car and scream… just get that energy flowing!⠀
⠀
3. Massage. Gentle massage from your neck to your chest, and back up again. My personal favourite is using almond or coconut oil, mixed with a dab of peppermint essential oil, to really get everything opened up.⠀
⠀
4. Crystals. If you are drawn to crystals, try picking out a blue/aqua crystal to wear. Blue is specifically connected to your throat chakra, and assists in communication and self-expression. I have a specific mala that I wear whenever I am podcasting!⠀
⠀
5. Meditation. Hop on YouTube or Insight Timer and search specifically for throat chakra guided meditations. ⠀
⠀
6. Energy work. Seek out people who can assist you with moving stuck energy in the throat. My personal favourites are Acupuncture and Reiki.⠀
⠀
7. Talk about your fears. Build a trusted network for support. By being vulnerable and verbalizing your struggles with those you trust, you open the doors for others to be open with you.

⠀
What challenges have you faced by speaking out publicly? What has helped you get comfortable with your voice?

Categories
Divine Feminine Intuition Mindset

Building trust with your intuition

Triggers can often be so small. For me, it was one single line from a podcast- “when it comes to happiness, our intuition is often wrong”.

As I prepare to launch my own podcast, I have been having conversations with some pretty amazing women. And know what the number one thing is that we keep talking about? TRUSTING your intuition. How building that trust has transformed their lives and the way they do business.

How many discoveries started as an intuitive nudge? How many people that we revere today, were outcast in their time? Outcast for following their intuition before it made logical sense to do so, and before the capability to measure their results were available?

I trust with ever fibre of my being that our intuition will always guide us to where we need to go. But often we have experiences where, especially in business, we trust our intuition, take that leap, and fall flat on our faces. And as quickly as we leaned into trust, just because we did not accomplish the results we thought we should, we banish our intuition.

But the thing is, getting to your highest good, getting to happiness, is often messy and filled with healing. And healing in order to experience full happiness often feels pretty crappy.

YOU have the power to choose that your experience was a failure or trust that it happened to help you step into your full potential. So the next time you experience an undesired outcome, and are quick to blame your intuitive leap, try thinking about it like this:

⁘ What did you learn from your experience? Because learning from your own experiences is always more powerful that learning from others… cue your teenager years right here.

⁘ Was there something that needed to be healed from your experience in order to move forward in your future?

⁘ Looking back, did you meet someone or set something in action by your experience? We often don’t understand why things unfolded as they did until we are removed enough to see a wider perspective.

⁘ Was there something even better waiting for you than what your original goal was?

 

Stop doubting. Stop questioning. Stop analyzing.

Start trusting yourself, and watch the magic unfold.

Categories
Divine Feminine Intuition Mindset

Learning to embrace my ebbs and flows going into 2021

Learning to ride the waves of creativity has been another way that lessons on surrender and flow have come up in my life. And as a creative professional whose income relies on my ability to create for others, surrendering to creativity extremely hard for me.

In my corporate past life, my creativity was boxed into masculine energy that demanded that I performed at my peak from 9-5, 5 days a week. Deadlines and budgets dictated how I was to perform, and defiantly not my natural ebbs and flows. Looking back, it is not surprising that my creativity became forced during my day job (which really doesn’t equal creativity at all, but mass manufactured ideas masquerading as inspiration) and I started to lose interest in creating in my spare time.

You would think that when I went off on my own, entrepreneurship would solve all of my creativity issues. But the thing is, I just changed the setting of my work environment, but the structure was still the same. Saying ‘yes’ to everyone who wanted to work with me on whatever project they wanted done, and booking myself back to back with no down time. I was pretty much grasping at any opportunity that came my way with a hungry mindset of lacking, scared to see something pass me by if I didn’t act upon it immediately. Again, it isn’t surprising that even with my new title of ‘entrepreneur’ that my creativity shrivelled up again, and with it my drive to work on my business.

I wanted so badly to be consistent all the time, that my new constant became depletion.

It wasn’t an overnight change by any means, and it is still something that my inner critic likes to provide input on from time to time. ‘No time for rest, have to be productive, there are so many things I have to get done, my worth is in how many things I can cross off my to do list…’

But every year that passes I am getting better at turning down the volume on those destructive thoughts. I am getting better at accepting I am not a machine made for consistency. I am learning how to embrace my ebbs and flows. I am practicing being in the uncomfortable space in between. I am leaning into the flow of creativity and letting it take me along for a ride. And I plan to do more and more of all of these things in 2021.

What do you want to do more of in 2021?

Categories
Divine Feminine Intuition Mindset

How I am working on receiving more gracefully

“The spirit of giving without a thought of getting.”
“It’s better to give than to receive.”
“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but what we give.”

 

Do these words sound familiar to you?

It has really come to my attention recently, that during the holidays we become very focused on giving, but no one ever talks about the flip side.

Now before you label me as a horrible, selfish person, stay with me…

I am a giver by nature. For a long time I had assumed the role of peace maker in my family, I am highly emphatic, I am a mother (self sacrificing territory right there)… I even found out recently that I am an Enneagram type 2! Giving (even at the expense of my own needs) has always come naturally to me. And it has taken me a long time to work out boundaries so I am able to give without depleting myself. But know what I am still really horrible at? Receiving! There are articles, upon articles on ways to give during the holidays, but I don’t think we often talk about how to receive gracefully.

I still find myself wanting to argue or say ‘no, no you don’t have to do that’, when someone offers to help. I still feel like I am taking advantage of someone who chooses to give to me willingly. I still have a hard time not over using the word ‘thank you’.

These things have helped me become a more graceful receiver, and may resonate with you too:

⁘ Stop and put myself in the giver’s shoes. If it was me, would I want to be arguing with my recipient, or would I rather they accept the offer I want to give?

⁘ Remember that it is my job to create boundaries for myself, and not boundaries for others. If someone gives to me, I trust that it is in alignment with their boundaries, and that I am not taking advantage of them.

⁘ Practice gratitude for the small things in life that I receive- a moment of solitude, the smell of a new book, a bubble bath.
 

How do you practice receiving gracefully?

Categories
Content Marketing Divine Feminine Intuition Mindset Storytelling

What happens when you let inspiration lead instead of metrics

Have you pressed pause on your hustle recently, to really ask why you are doing things in your biz the way you are? Is it for the best intentions for yourself and your audience? Is it because you’ve been taught things need to be done in a certain way? Is it out of fear that you must play by certain rules in order to be heard?

I have a love hate thing with social media. It is an amazing platform to connect with people from all over the world and share important stories. But it is also greedy and hungry for all of my attention. I used to be afraid that if I didn’t play by the rules and have a plan, that my voice would just get lost in the cracks. But the longer I forced authentic content into a plan, it began to lose its authenticity, and instead of being a tool to help me connect with others it felt like a burden. Something I had to do to be a good entrepreneur.

So I set the intention that I would only reach out via email and the social media platforms I chose, when I felt inspired to do so. Not because Tuesdays were a good day for open rates. Not because my metrics told me to post at 1pm. Not because I was in competition with an algorithm that was not human. But because I let inspiration lead and I would follow and trust.

And know what happened to all those metrics after having weeks where I said nothing at all? Nothing. Nothing changed. I still got the same average views that I always had.

But know what was the most important change? Connection. When I was patient and trusted and let inspiration lead my content, instead of forcing inspiration to come to me, I was able to effortlessly connect with the people who needed to hear what I had to say the most.

In a world filled with blueprints, and strategy and plans, don’t loose sight of yourself in your business. Your uniqueness, your light, your voice – your entrepreneurial spirit.

Categories
Intuition Mindset

When I know it is time to listen to my body and slow down

I’ve been caught up in a community passion project, and found that although I started it for all the right reasons, I still needed to remind myself to take a breather. Passion is an amazing thing, but it is also very consuming. Passion also tends to bring out my perfectionist tendencies and drains me if I stay too focused for too long without coming out for rest.

I used to be the queen of ignoring the signs from my body gave when it was time to slow down, but now instead of criticizing my body’s inability to keep up with my racing mind, I use these indicators to slow down and refuel:

⁘ General tiredness
⁘ Foggy head/ inability to think clearly
⁘ Lack of creativity
⁘ Lack of motivation
⁘ Inability to regulate emotions
⁘ Clinging on to perfectionism in my work
⁘ Anxiety spirals

I know when my body starts to fight me, that it is time to step away from my desk (which is super hard for me at times because I love completing tasks!) and refuel by:

⁘ Getting some movement in. Dance parties or walks in nature are my favourites. Especially next to the ocean.
⁘ Singing or screaming. I’m not talented in the singing department by any means, but belting out a tune helps to clear pent up energy. The first time I screamed alone in my car I felt so weird, but then it was quickly replaced by such a cathartic feeling!
⁘ Meditating. There was a point in my life where I couldn’t sit for more than a few seconds because of the anxiety vibrating in my body, so I started with walking meditation. Depending on my mood or what is happening around me, mediating could range from just a few moments of deep breathing and clearing my thoughts, or popping on a favourite guided meditation while taking a warm shower or bath.
⁘ Smudging. Pausing to clear the energy in my space and taking a few deep breaths, helps me to ground and refocus my energy, letting go of anything that isn’t serving me in the moment. And the smell is lovely!
⁘ Making a cup of tea. Like smudging, the ritual of making tea is comforting, and allows me to ground my energy and focus on a tactile task. And in the end I get to sip a lil’ bit of joy from the mug!
⁘ Creating with my hands. So much of my business is done on a laptop, and I feel so recharged by digging my hands into anything that isn’t based in technology! Cooking, drawing, gardening, playing with clay, even just rubbing my fingers along the edges of a crystal I am feeling drawn to.
⁘ Replacing the negative self talk with compassion. We are all human. Let me repeat that- we are all human. We can have the best intentions and still become victim to old patterns. Love yourself and give yourself the same compassion you would a loved one. Release yourself from the need of being perfect.

Is your body trying to help you to slow down before you burn out? What are some signals that are red lights for you? What helps you to refuel?

Don’t forget, it’s not all about the result, but the joy of the journey of creation along the way. And in order to enjoy the journey, you need to pace yourself! 

Categories
Divine Feminine Intuition Love & Fear Mindset

What childbirth has taught me about the power of surrendering

Have you ever looked back at how you have grown in life, as if flipping through a well loved album, and can pin point the moments of radical change? Those moments where you may not have known it at the time, but looking back it is very clear that they would becoming tipping points into new growth.

I make no secret that I am in recovery from destructive perfectionism, productive and control. Learning and practising how to just surrender has been essential in not only my personal growth, but how I approach business and tune into my intuition.

Today I had a moment where I looked back and thought, oh yes, childbirth was very much trial by fire into the art of surrender. It was the first time in my life where I entered an altered state of consciousness, and in that time wholly trusted and surrendered to my body and it’s knowledge. I remember looking at my daughter in my arms as my logical brain came back online, and being wholly blown away by how deeply I knew what to do. My feminine intuition had kicked in when I needed to act on innate knowing instead of logic, and it knew exactly what had to be done.

It was such a profound experience in fact, that I would eventually go on to train as a doula and birth educator, and teach my own classes about the psychology of childbirth and the effect fear has on our psychical bodies. And here I am again examining fear from a female perspective, but this time how it effects how we put ourselves out into the world as entrepreneurs.

Surrender has a beautiful way of bringing unlikely gifts into our lives, don’t you think?

Categories
Intuition Love & Fear Mindset

Are you sabotaging yourself with self-doubt?

Nothing can tank your entrepreneurial dreams quicker than doubt- in yourself, in your ideas, in your abilities… Sound familiar? If you are nodding your head ‘yes’ that is because you are not alone in your worries. I have never met an entrepreneur who hasn’t had thoughts of doubt no matter what stage of the game they are at. Me included.

I feel this is because as an entrepreneur, your business and its success is so closely tied to you personally. Personal development IS business development. You and your business are intertwined.

Think of it as birthing a baby. You spend so much time nurturing and growing your ideas, and it is such an intimate experience that no one else is a part of. But what use are your ideas if you keep them to yourself? Eventually, you have to birth what has been so close to you for so long, but all the hard work to get that idea out into the world in concrete form is not nearly as stressful as once it is born. Because if you are growing a business that is an authentic expression of your passions and purpose, that newly born idea, which is a very intimate part of you, is all of a sudden out on display and is subject to everyone else’s thoughts and options.

Why I am sharing all of this with you? Because I want you to know you are not alone. As I prepare to launch my new Intuition Activation workshop, I have been on an emotional roller coaster. From the highest ‘yes this is what I am meant to do’ moments, to the lowest ‘who are you to be doing this’ moments. And because I believe so fiercely that what I am creating has the ability to make a positive impact, all those low moments are so much more personal and it feels much safer to keep my ideas in utero instead of giving birth.

This is what I needed to hear and do this week, and I hope sharing my experience will help you get over some of those humps of doubt too:

1. You know that thing that lights you up and sends tingles down your spine? You were meant to do it not only for yourself, but for it to send ripples out into the world. Elizabeth Gilbert says it so well- following your passion is a community service.

2. Don’t be scared to lean on your community. Surround yourself with people that truly believe in you and that will act as that sidekick in your story to help boost your confidence. Hearing others say they have confidence in you and your vision is highly infectious (in the best kind of way).

3. Stop pushing so hard, and stop for a moment. Make room in your day to sit with yourself and pay attention to what you are feeling (both emotionally and physically) instead of letting your head rule every second of your day (aka tuning into your intuition!). Do these feelings feel aligned with what you are currently pushing through in your business? Or do they feel at odds with each other? Course correct as you go instead of waking up one day wondering, ‘how did I get here’?

Categories
Branding Content Marketing Intuition

Crafting an impactful business offer

Have you ever been overwhelmed at the endless possibilities for what you could offer in your business or directions you could take? Maybe you find yourself veering off in all directions, or stuck in the paralysis of indecision. Maybe you have been pushing to launch a course that you have been desiring for so long, but you keep being invited to speaking engagements. Or perhaps your business is based on 1-on-1 client work but it seems your clients are all asking you about a group event.

I think all entrepreneurs by trade are multi passionate. There are so many things that inspire us to create, and speaking especially from my own experience, it is hard to decide where to invest your energy in a particular moment in time.

As you work on the offers you want to put out into the world, consider these questions: What do you want? What do others want? Is the timing right in your life, in others or in the world? I find that the sweet spot for the most impactful business offers are when I am able to combine all three- an offer that is in service to both myself and others, and lands at the right time.

Does something feel off about your offer? Maybe you have done your market research and the offer fuels your purpose but when you finally put it out into the world you hear crickets? Or it is something you feel so passionately about but it isn’t in service to others, or perhaps more in service to your ego?


Try looking at it like this:

⁘ In service to others + In service to yourself ⁘
This offer hits the sweet spot of what both you and others need, but the timing if off. The timing could be related to the current energy in the world, or personally for yourself or others. Maybe you keep getting messages that others wish they could make it but they have another commitment at this time. Don’t give up or be disappointed! Listen to your intuition and try putting this offer out at a later date.

⁘ In service to yourself + Timing ⁘
This offer fuels your needs and the timing is right, but the offer is not in service of the needs of others. Engage in conversations with your ideal clients and learn what they need, then go back and examine your offer. Are you coming from a place from wanting to help others, or only fulfilling your needs?

⁘ In service to others + Timing ⁘
Others are coming to you for your expertise and they need it now, but is it fulfilling for you? Are you giving to others but not yourself? Are you getting paid what you are worth? Sit down and really think about what you need that you are not getting, and how you could bring harmony to all three areas.

Categories
Divine Feminine Intuition Love & Fear Mindset

Intuition in business – A conversation with Debbie Adams

It’s Nova Scotia Small Business week, and I want to introduce you to your entrepreneurial superpower… your intuition!

I am grateful to have chatted with money guru, Debbie Adams, all about intuition on Facebook LIVE.

We touched on:
⁘ What is intuition? Why is it important?
⁘ How do you tune into your intuition?
⁘ What intuition has to do with your business.
⁘ Finding a balance between intuition and strategy in your business.

You can watch the replay over here. I would love to hear any questions or insights you have on the topic- just leave a comment on the replay!