Aha Life Design Blog

Last week I attended Robert Moss’ workshop on Shamanic Lucid Dreaming. Robert is a delightful man and a fabulous storyteller. We spent the weekend engaged in many wonderful activities, and the workshop was lots of fun.

On the second day of the workshop, Robert taught the Oracle Card exercise. He began by giving each one of us an index card and asking us to write down a thought, a short quote, whatever we felt like writing … on one side. When we had finished doing so, Robert’s assistant collected all of the cards.

Next, Robert requested that we think of a question concerning something on which we wanted help and to write that question in our journals. In deciding what to ask, he told us not to worry about being “spiritually correct” but to seek advice about something that was troubling us or creating stress in our lives.

Just prior to the Oracle Card exercise, we had engaged in a shamanic journey exercise in which we sought advice for a partner. I had asked my partner to seek advice about taking my business to the next level. I explained to her that having a full-time coaching practice can be very stressful because I’m the sole breadwinner in my house. Although my two golden retrievers, Liza Jolie and Zydeco Ardoin, provide tremendous emotional support, they haven’t figured out how to help pay the mortgage yet.

Still thinking about my coaching practice at the time of the Oracle Card exercise, I decided to seek more advice about my business. I wrote: “How do I make my business soar?”

Robert’s assistant then walked around our circle holding the collected index cards and asked each of us to draw one at random. Robert instructed us not to read what was written but to keep the card face down. He explained that the selected card provided a direct response from the Universe to our question.

Robert asked a few people to share their questions and what was written on the cards they drew. The synchronicity between the questions asked and cards drawn was remarkable. One woman had asked “What is love?” and the Universe responded, “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” In each instance, the Universe’s advice proved to be inspirational and uplifting.

I was excited to see what the Universe had in store for me. I turned my index card over and read, “You must endure being uncomfortable in order to release whatever is gripping you.” Wow, what kind of response was that? A really depressing one as far as I could see.

It’s fascinating how quickly my reptilian brain took charge, overwhelming me with fear. Did “being uncomfortable” mean I had to go to a place where I couldn’t pay my mortgage? OMG, I was going to lose my house. Suddenly, I was seeing myself homeless and living on the street.

Dismayed and discouraged, I showed my index card to the woman who had journeyed for me earlier. She too felt unsettled by the message. “Perhaps you could rip the card up or burn it,” she suggested. We both wanted to free me from this terrible omen.

“No,” I said. “There must be a gift in the message. I don’t see it now, but I’m sure I’ll discover the gift in time.” Disconcertedly, I tucked the index card away in my journal.

Monday morning I woke up early and began writing my Morning Pages. As I wrote, I remembered the Universe’s response. Something was nudging me not to wait but to reread the card immediately. While reading the message this time, however, I paid attention; I didn’t allow my lizard brain to seize control. The Universe’s response still wasn’t the warm and encouraging message I had hoped to receive, but it wasn’t frightening either. It simply was the truth!

In order to take my business to the next level, I have to release the fear and concerns that are gripping me and put myself out there; I have to be more visible. On some levels, this scares me to no end. It exposes me to the chance of failure, the added expectations and responsibility that come with success,  the possibility of criticism from others… I’ve never liked  promoting myself. It has always felt a bit presumptuous and cocky. I also have never wanted to force people to hear or read about my services when they have no interest in what I do.

In writing that last sentence, I realize how ridiculous my thinking is. It’s not like I’m going to chain people to a post until they hear what I have to say about my business or lock them in an isolated cell until they read the Aha Life Design Facebook page.

I’ve never been comfortable with marketing or even with my being successful. Guess what? I can’t help people if no one knows I exist or have something to offer. The more successful I become, the more benefit to others I’ll be able to achieve.

You’re right Universe – it’s time for me to leave my comfort zone! Thanks you. Your reminder is a gift. I’m going to take small steps each day to spread the word about my business. The beauty of doing this is that with each small step I will push the boundary outward increasing the size of my comfort zone.

The Universe’s message isn’t true for just me but for everyone. We can’t grow without pushing the boundaries of our comfort zones from time to time. There is almost nothing we have learned to do that didn’t make us a bit uncomfortable when we first started learning to do it. Perhaps we were afraid of failing, looking foolish, making others unhappy, or something else. But remember – even a baby’s first step requires moving beyond the comfort of crawling.

What’s holding you back? How are you not living the life you were meant to live because you’ve been unwilling to leave your comfort zone? What small step will you take to move beyond the boundary of that zone today?

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