A few years ago, a potential client approached me, telling me that she hated her job. She described a toxic work environment, where co-workers distrusted each other, the boss undermined employees, and everyone was expected to work day and night. She was exasperated. She approached me because she wanted work that was more meaningful and fulfilling. “What have you done so far to look for a new job?” I asked her. “Oh, I’ve been applying to at least 5-10 jobs every day,” she said with an exasperated voice. “On the train to work, I get on my smartphone, look at all the different jobs listed on this website, and just go down the list, applying to each one of them.” “All the jobs?” I wondered aloud. “Let me ask you a question. For this one particular job that you applied for, if this company offered it to you, would you take it?” “Oh no, I wouldn’t take that job at all,” she quickly responded. “Then why did you apply to this job?” I questioned her. “Because I just need to do something. I’m so stressed out. Any action is better than taking no action,” she cried. Have you ever wanted to change something so bad that you just went into action mode? Her story reminded me of Alice in Wonderland who was lost, when she then approached the Cheshire cat for directions. “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice. The Cheshire cat responded, “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” Alice replied, “I don’t much care where.” “Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” wisely answered the Cheshire cat. My client, just like Alice, knew she didn’t want to be where she was at, and she also wasn’t exactly clear where she wanted to go. They both just wanted to get going…to take action for action’s sake. Anything felt better than feeling stuck and staying still. I suspected, though, that with a couple questions, my client could get clearer, so that her actions would be more aligned with where her heart was calling her to be. “Imagine yourself doing work that felt ideal for you, in an environment where you felt was the right and perfect place for you,” I explored. “How do you imagine you’d feel?” “Oh, that’s easy. I’d feel free,” she quickly responded. “Tell me more,” I nudged her. “I’d feel like I could breathe. I wouldn’t be tired all the time. I wouldn’t dread going to work,” she continued. “So, you’d feel like you have energy, and you might be looking forward to going to work?” I asked. “Absolutely,” she exclaimed. “I’d feel like I was respected, by my co-workers and by my boss. I’d be doing things that I really enjoyed and was good at. And I’d feel like I was making a difference in what I was doing.” Her mood shifted, and a lightness in her energy field exuded from her being. “You seem different than when we first started talking. How are you feeling now?” I wondered. “I’m feeling really good. I’m feeling more energized and excited about new possibilities,” she happily shared. “This energy of openness, and feeling of possibility,” I remarked, “these are pointing you to where you’re being called. There’s that in you that knows what sparks you, what makes you come alive, and where you are called to be your fuller and more authentic self. This feeling you’re feeling now is like a compass, pointing you in the direction of your next step.” As she sat there taking in the words and basking in the feeling, I could sense the wheels turning in her head. “So my feeling open and expanded is pointing me to my next step,” she repeated. “This also means that if I’m not feeling open and expanded, and if I’m feeling like something’s not right, then this might not be the direction for me to take.” “Exactly,” I responded. “Allow some room for your intuition and your feelings to help guide you. And when you feel excited, alive, and inspired, then be open to taking action from that place, and discerning which jobs feel more exciting to you.” Abraham-Hicks shares a spiritual metaphor about a vacuum that’s not plugged into the wall. You could push the vacuum all you want around the house, but until it’s plugged in, it won’t be cleaning up much dirt. The metaphor brings it back to the idea that action for action’s sake doesn’t always yield the results you’re looking for. But if you take the time to plug into Source energy, to tune into the expansive energy of possibility already within you, then you become more focused, more powerful, and clearer on your next steps. So, for you, where in your own life might you be running around in circles, or feeling like you could use some direction, where you’re pushing the vacuum without plugging it in first, taking action for action’s sake but not really getting anywhere? Perhaps you could consider first taking a moment to plug in, to tune in to the power Source that’s always available, and to get to a state of being where you welcome the energy of possibility and expansion. Because once you’re plugged in, life actually starts to unfold a whole lot easier, and sometimes in seemingly magical ways. And unlike Alice in Wonderland, you’ll be guided to your right next step, or it might just show up. Abundant Blessings and Namaste. 
Why do the best ideas come in the shower? The other day, while I was taking a shower, an idea popped in my head for a new course that I could teach. I felt so excited and inspired that I wanted to jump out of the shower and grab my iPhone to capture the idea before it could fly away. Have you ever had a brilliant idea or inspiration come to you when you were taking a shower? Why this happens makes sense when you take a moment to think about it. You're in the shower, relaxed, with the water gently massaging your body. It's an activity that you do day in and day out, so you really don't have to think much about the process of showering itself. You allow your mind to wander. That right there is the key word: Allow. You move into a state of allowing. You become more open and more receptive. When you think about being in a state of flow, harmony and ease, do you envision a clenched fist and straining, or do you imagine an open hand and welcoming? Being open and receptive, in a state of allowing and welcoming, is a whole lot more conducive to new ideas and creative expression than, say, being stressed out or trying to force an answer to come through. Meditation is always a great way to move into that greater state of openness and receptivity, especially if you do it consistently. But if you find meditation to be a little bit challenging for you, I'll offer you another strategy. When I'm coaching my clients and they're stressed out about something that they're experiencing or they're wanting an answer to a troubling situation, one of the strategies I offer as a homework assignment is to ask them to do something that brings them a greater sense of ease or joy, with that activity completely unrelated to the circumstance. It could be taking a walk on the grass, the beach or even around the block. Or listening to some music that they love. Or drawing or doodling with their hands. Or eating a delicious food. Or lighting an aromatic candle. You see, the sensory nature of touch, of taste, of sight, of hearing, of smell, helps to get them out of their heads and more into their bodies and into their hearts. They become more present into the moment, which then helps to soften the tightness of the shoulders, and allows them to breathe more deeply. Sometimes the answer that they're seeking comes to them right then and there, or they come across a seemingly random person or out of the blue resource that leads them closer to what they seek. The first step, though, is shifting from a state of forcing and coercing something to happen and moving into a greater state of receptivity and allowing. Like energy attracts like energy. So, if you have a question that you're grappling with, or you're wanting an answer that comes to you more easily, the first thing to do, then, is to get into an energy and state of ease. Easeful energy attracts easeful energy. You can always hop in the shower and let your mind wander, opening your receptivity into a greater space of allowing and welcoming. Abundant Blessings and Namaste. 
At the most recent 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, Debbie Allen (notably known for her work on Fame, along with her other accomplishments as a dancer, choreographer, actress, writer, producer, and director) received the Television Academy’s 2021 Governor’s Award. Despite her many successes, she started her speech trembling and overwhelmed. Allen took a deep breath and shared her raw, personal thoughts. “I am trying not to cry and be equal to the situation because it’s been many years in the making,” Allen conveyed. “To be equal to the situation” — this is a powerful spiritual lesson Debbie Allen shared with all of us. Let me break it down. Whenever I meet with new clients, one of the first questions I ask them is this: “What do you want?” It’s a powerful question because you’re usually not taught to ask yourself what you really, really want. Plus, you’re also taught not to answer in a way that truly feels like an authentic answer for you. Typically, you might feel the need to answer in a way that others or society thinks you should answer. But after people have a chance to really tune in and to give voice to what they really really want, it’s the next question that I ask that’s just as important. “Do you believe you can have what you want?” This is where the rubber hits the road because, for various reasons, a lot of people don’t really believe they can have what they want. Over the years, my clients and students have shared with me some of the following reasons for why they don’t believe they can have what they want:
And the list goes on. Some people are clever enough to answer my question by saying, “Of course, I believe I can have what I want. Anything is possible. Whether it will happen is another question!” So, I fine tune the question even further, and ask, “Do you believe you are equal to what you want?” This question is the showstopper. If your heart wants you to be experiencing something that you aren’t yet experiencing, there’s a belief somewhere in your consciousness that believes you are not yet equal to what you want. You might say out loud, “I really, really believe I am equal to it!”, until you’re blue in the face, but until you truly believe you are equal to what you want, what you want doesn’t show up. So how do you come to the point where you believe you are equal to it? In one word, the answer is: becoming. Becoming is the process of your own unfolding, where you become the person that you believe is equal to what you desire. If you have a desire for a loving relationship, who are you called to be to allow that kind of relationship in your life? If you have a desire for a meaningful, fulfilling job that pays you well, who are you called to be and what are you called to change in your own life to make space for that to happen? If you have a desire for a fit, healthy, vibrantly alive body, who are you called to be, and what beliefs, attitudes and habits do you have to let go to bring that vision to your actualized reality? Simply put, who are you called to be? As she continued her speech, Debbie Allen thanked the many supportive people in her life, including Steven Spielberg and Shonda Rhimes, who gave her opportunities to “become Debbie Allen.” To become Debbie Allen. If Debbie Allen can open to becoming the Debbie Allen that her heart knew her to be, can you become the most divine person that your heart is calling you to be? To become more of who you are. Go ahead and say it for yourself, and it’s even better if you say it out aloud. “I am called to become more (fill in your name).” Now breathe that in, and let it settle into your body. Become more of who you are. Debbie Allen concluded her speech with these words, that hold true for you to hear too. She ended, “It’s time for you to claim your power. Play your voice, sing your song, tell your stories. It will make us a better place. Your turn.” Abundant Blessings and Namaste. |
About JoselitoJoselito is a spiritual life coach helping people create a purposeful, spiritual path to career and financial freedom. Sign me up to receive the free newsletterPopular Blog Articles Beware (Be Aware of) these 5 Unhelpful Money Stories How my body told me to quit my job How I was offered an all-expenses paid cruise after making my Vision Board Today I choose to live my GREATNESS You are not your stories. You are the story-teller. Your job is not your Source. |
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