 Photo by Catt Liu on Unsplash During one of my recent client sessions, a young woman who I’ll call Tracy shared how frustrated she’s been with her book project.
“I don’t know what my problem is,” Tracy lamented. “Every time I think I’m ready to get going with writing my book, I find something else that seems to take priority. I’ll have a doctor’s appointment, or a friend from out of town will call me wanting to visit, or some other emergency will come up. I feel like I have some block that I need to deal with.” This wasn’t the first time Tracy and I had this conversation. In previous sessions, we talked about whether she really wanted to make this book project happen. (The answer was a resounding yes.) We discussed ways to make the process more fun and in alignment with her own rhythm of living life. We came up with bite-sized chunks that could help her move the project forward incrementally. Still, she felt like she wasn’t making any progress. In that moment in our session, a thought entered my head. “Do you like doing the dishes?” I asked her. “Not really. It’s not my favorite thing,” Tracy replied. “But do you still do the dishes, even though it’s not your favorite thing?” “Of course,” she answered. “They have to get done.” “If doing the dishes isn't your favorite thing, why do you still do them?” I asked gently. “I do it because I can’t imagine having a stack of dirty dishes piling up. I like having everything put away. Having a clean kitchen makes me feel good,” she replied. “I want to highlight something you said. You do the dishes because you know that the feeling of having a clean kitchen outweighs the feeling of leaving it a mess,” I said, mirroring her response. “Is there a way you might relate how you approach the dishes with how you can approach your book project?” Tracy sighed with a knowing look, and replied, “I get what you’re saying. Sometimes you just need to do the dishes. In this case, I just need to do what I set out to do with this book project.” As she spoke, I could feel an energy of conviction. “If a year goes by and I haven’t done anything, I’d be very disappointed with myself,” she declared. “I have a big dream for this book to get out because I know it can help a lot of people. I have something important to say, and I want to get my message out in the world.” Immediately, I could sense a shift happened and I knew Tracy was ready to make the book happen. Tracy’s story might be recognizable in your own life. Maybe you don’t have a book project. But you may have experienced that feeling of really wanting to have something happen, but you aren’t enthused about some steps in the process of getting there. It could be having enough energy and getting up from the couch to go to the gym. It could be making a decision to get a handle on your finances. Maybe it’s making those calls that will help you grow your business. If you’re having trouble moving forward with something that you know you want to do, here is one simple question that you can ask yourself that could help you get going: “Why do you want to do this?” This might seem a simple question, and yet it’s one that many don’t take the time to really answer. I encourage you to take some time to feel into this question and see what comes up, for any project that you are undertaking. "Why do you want to do this?" You probably will have a number of different answers. And one answer will be the one that tugs at your heart. Some people call this one answer “your Why that makes you cry.” When you find that one answer that taps into the heart of your vision, let that motivation be the driving force to help you move forward. For Tracy, yes, sometimes you just need to do the dishes, but really it’s more than that. She does the dishes because she is tapping into her vision for a clean and brighter home. What is your why that makes you cry? For this week’s coaching assignment, ask, “What are the metaphorical dishes in your life that are calling to you? And ultimately, why do you want to do what your heart is calling you to do?”
And here is a spiritual truth to remember as you look at doing things that might not seem so fun: Even in the seemingly mundane, the Divine is present there too. In those most private of moments, when no one else may be watching, you can connect spiritually. Know that as your heart calls you forward, each and every one of your actions can be the unfolding and revealing of the Divine. Are you open to allowing the Divine to shine through you? Abundant Blessings and Namaste. I’d love to hear your thoughts about today’s post, and to hear about what you do when you don't feel like doing the things you know you need to do. Please leave a comment below. And if you’d like some support in creating a more inspiring and purposeful life, I’d be happy to talk with you. You can sign up for a free life coaching consultation by clicking here.  Early last month, Richard and I traveled to Washington D.C. One morning, we found a popular local breakfast spot and got seated at the counter next to a woman who was wearing a race bib on her shirt. I turned to her and asked, “Did you do the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer walk this morning?” “I did!” she exclaimed. “I got up real early this morning and did the walk. Now I’m starved!” I offered her hearty congratulations and shared with her that we were visiting from Los Angeles. After talking a while longer, our food came (I had the fried chicken and waffles) and we each turned to our delectable plates in front of us. When she finished her meal, she quietly motioned to our server. Oddly, though, she whispered into his ear, and he responded by whispering in her ear. They both nodded in some agreement, at which point she brought out her cash, paid him and then bid us a farewell and a fun time in D.C. Richard and I, looking at each other, remarked, “That was weird.” We called over our server and asked for our bill. “Oh, don’t worry about it. She just paid for your breakfast,” the server replied, with a smile that gave away the secret words whispered between them. What?!? We were surprised and shocked. We said to each other, “Let’s run after her!” Luckily, she was still in the restaurant, talking to a friend of hers at another table. “Oh my gosh,” we said to her. “You are so kind. Why did you pay for our meal?” She answered, “You’re visiting here and I wanted to make sure you had a warm welcome to Washington D.C. Consider this Unexpected Blessings. That’s what this is. Unexpected Blessings.” We hugged her and talked with her a little more, and then took a selfie with her to remember this beautiful moment. She may or may not have realized this, but her giving-ness stuck with us for the rest of our trip. Our hearts were filled with an immense feeling of gratitude and blessings. Here, in this story, is a spiritual truth about the nature of Life. We live in a loving and giving Universe. In this case, Love expressed through this woman sitting next to us at the restaurant counter. Because we live in a loving and giving Universe, Life is filled with continual blessings, whether or not you realize it. All that’s sometimes needed is for you to recognize and acknowledge the showering of blessings already showing up in your life. With this in mind, if you'd like to become more aware of the Good that is present in your life, here is your coaching assignment for the week:
Ultimately, this week’s exercise is an activity in awakening your awareness to the Good that is ever present in your life. Let me be clear that I’m not discounting things that happen in life that don’t feel so good. But for some people, it can be easier to focus on the not so good things, and to forget the good things that are happening. This week’s exercise helps to remind you that Good is all around, just waiting for your acknowledgement. And when you focus on Good, even more Good starts to show up. This is one of the spiritual laws of the Universe. What you focus on expands. This is how you attract more Good in your life. This week is your opportunity to “up” your awareness for the blessings in your life. And watch with wonder and delight how even more Good shows up...especially Unexpected Blessings. Abundant Blessings and Namaste. I’d love to hear your thoughts about today’s post, and to hear about what Evidence of Good is showing up in your life. Please leave a comment below. And if you’d like some support in creating a more inspiring and purposeful life of Good, I’d be happy to talk with you. You can sign up for a free life coaching consultation by clicking here.  In this past week (as well as the past few weeks and months), I’ve spoken with many people who are filled with so much pain and hurt. Understandably, they share that it feels like everything wrong is happening with the world. Las Vegas. Puerto Rico. Hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey. Racial injustice. Gender inequality. Transphobia in the military and everyday life. Divisive politics. Environmental degradation. Gentrification. And the list goes on. Some of my clients have asked me for my thoughts on what they can do as a spiritual practice to stay afloat in what feels like a sea of madness. Mostly, they wonder what, if anything, they can do in the midst of all of this pain and suffering. I’ll admit that, in the past two days, I’ve found myself crying many times as I’ve read the stories of the people killed and hurt in Las Vegas. In the past two months, I’ve been crying as I’ve seen the news footage of the devastation and the anguish in Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida. And that’s the first thing I encourage people to do. Feel the pain if it arises. Allow space for the hurt and anguish. Our feeling of pain is a sign of our humanity. Our hurt and anguish reveal our love and connection with others in the world, even if they may appear to be strangers to us. Our pain and hurt reminds us of the truth that we are connected. We are truly One. Take a moment to breathe that in. And in this remembrance of our Oneness, we are reminded that not only are we One as an entire human race, but also that we are One in this incredibly rich, powerful and creative Universe. The creative energy that runs in and through all things, that creates plants as well as planets, is the same creative energy that runs in and through each of us. Remembering this Truth brings us to the next step, which is to recall that we are not powerless. We have the power to choose our response. In the hurt, pain and anguish, remember that you can do something, anything. You have the power to choose. You can donate money. You can join a local effort to gather supplies. Maybe you can rally people to action. Last week, a neighbor of ours took it upon herself to gather food and supplies to send to her friends and family in the Virgin Islands. She casually mentioned this to us. Because of her action, Richard and I decided to buy a bunch of groceries to add to her supply. Her act of generosity opened an opportunity for us to help in a way that we could. Even an act of calling someone to tell them that you love them is doing something. It’s actually a really great thing. Especially in a time of hurt and pain, giving your love and connecting with others are simple and powerful actions everyone can take. The more we can ground ourselves in love, the more we can bring a greater healing to this world's pain. If you have been feeling saddened, hurt, angry or overwhelmed, I offer you this coaching assignment for this week.
Then go and do that. If the world looks like it’s going down in flames, you have the ability to turn those flames into your own fire for love in action. Every action matters, regardless of how small or large it seems. Your flame can light a candle, or it can spark a revolution. Throughout all this, remember that you are a love being. You can make a difference. Abundant Blessings and Namaste. As part of my service to the world, I offer life coaching and spiritual counseling to people seeking support, especially if you’re looking at creating a greater life of meaning and fulfillment. I can help you figure out what that looks like and how you can get there. If you’re interested, click here and sign up for a complimentary life coaching consultation. I’m here to be of support and service
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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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