Have you ever been asked to do something you know you suck at?
Maybe it’s to lead a presentation on a topic you know very little about.
Or to talk to a bunch of people when you’d rather be behind your laptop.
Or to go on a blind date with someone your friend set you up with.
The Universe is sneaky sometimes, but always brilliant.
In order to get to the next level of your Soul’s journey (and being the person you’ve always dreamed of being, living the way you’ve always dreamed of living), you are usually asked to exit your comfort zone.
In a major way. Not just once. But over and over and over again.
And when that happens, you either step up to meet and be-friend that part of you that is scared or you thrash about and sabotage your success.
This could be in business, in love, heck, even in exercise habits!
Can I share a true story with you about moving out of your comfort zone + the intuitive guidance that came out from it?
My intention is that it helps you feel less alone during all the changes that you may be navigating right now in your life.
There’s also a short 3-part phrase that you can say aloud to yourself or silently whenever you are faced with a new situation. (I’m all about practical action!)
ps:…you’ll get to see a picture of me in a princess tiara…you’ll understand once you read the short story!
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The Story:
One day, at dance camp….
This summer, I’ve been blissing out, teaching dance in a summer camp here in the desert and lo and behold I apparently volunteered to help decorate the center for the theme of the week: fairy tales.
I should preface this post by saying that glue guns scare me, anything involving fabric or loops or putting intricate pieces of cloth together with a needle just send me into irrational, helpless, frustrated Goddess land.
Give me the mic at karaoke and I’ll do it.
Want me to give a speech on the spot to 1000 people?
I’ll rock it out.
But anything involving the words ‘arts and crafts?’
Eeek!! I get so nervous and look for the exit door.
Lesson #1: The Universe is sneaky but brilliant. You have to risk being a novice to eventually be a rock star in your life.
It knows our weak spots. The things we hate doing because we’d rather do only the things we are awesome at than risk looking like a novice or an idiot (or both).
So when it came to my attention that in fact my partner in crime heading up fairy tale week would be supervising a field trip and would not be there, I froze.
WTF?
How was I supposed to transform the space without a plan or even the faintest idea of where to begin? Was this all a bad dream?
If this was in my business, I would just simply delegate the unhappy task to my assistant or seek out expert advice from my coach.
But this was not that situation.
And the kids were counting on me to wake up Monday morning to a fairy tale wonderland.
I had less than four hours.
GO.
First idea: Google Disney princesses and make paper cut outs. Yay technology!
The printer didn’t do color.
Next idea: Get large poster boards and draw castles and wands and stuff. An odd sort of spastic creative progress.
I could only use 2 poster boards because they were needed for the art lesson. (I didn’t know I was supposed to bring supplies too!)
C.r.a.p
Lesson #2: There are no short-cuts when it comes to learning your Soul lessons. Get creative!
Despite my inner whining, I pulled out markers and crayons and watercolors.
Blank butcher paper stood before, looming and teasing me as if to say, “You are a dance teacher, do you even know what to do with me?”
I sat and taking a deep breath, I just kept saying, “Angels, help me now. I’m so scared. But, please, just help me do this.”
Long story short, I ended up using butcher paper and getting some assistance from a kind soul named *Annie and together we drew a massive dragon, Rapunzel and she had the brilliant idea to use crepe paper to drape down to be her “hair” to take up space on the sterile white walls.
By the end, there was a Princess Corner where I in fact, drew 3 of the Disney princesses (gulp!), a magic mirror and wand and also a life-size book of fairy tales, watercolored and covered in glitter for effect.
Coming down to the wire, I also threw in Cinderella’s pumpkin, pulled a cut-out of an alligator (don’t ask me what that has to do with fairy tales) and pinned up a huge wad of sparkly blue fabric that the art teacher had kindly let me use to “billow” and make the walls pretty.
Umm, okay.
So I folded it as best I could, made it be water under the alligator and drew a sign that said, “Hey, what do you think happened to Captain Hook?”
I shocked myself and I had so much fun, despite groaning about how awful I thought everything looked.
Lesson #3: It’s never about ‘you.’ Offer it up!
When the executive director walked by, she said, “Love the colors!”
I said, “I have no idea what the heck I’m doing! I’m so sorry!” (Yet somehow I was doing it)
Painting. Drawing. Activating a part of me that I had not tapped into in a very very long time.
Her reply was brilliant.
She said, “You are using your creativity! If you’re being creative, the kids will feel that and want to be too. Just trust it and stop worrying already!”
Trust it.
My creativity.
What a heady concept.
And then it hit me.
I was focusing so much on how much more I had to do, on how much help I didn’t have, on all the negative things the kids would say about my fairy tale contribution that I forgot the whole point was to have fun! Once I did, it ended up getting done and I felt so much lighter and happier!
More lessons:
I learned that a huge part of being creative means we have to detach from it being about us.
All we have to do is simply show up as ourselves, contribute as best as we can and remember that it is truly not in our hands.
From the moment we create, we can offer it to an infinite Source.
Dedicate it to something bigger than ourselves.
Anything created from a pure heart has wings!
It’s not our job to focus on how it will be received.
That’s us trying to control and take ownership of something that simply wants to just flow through us.
Our job is simply to show up. To focus with a full heart and Soul. And to detach on some deeply cosmic level, trusting that what you put in will come back.
So the next time you end up in a situation where you feel like you’re a complete beginner or it’s out of your league, remember that all you have do is:
Let it go.
Trust yourself.
Stop worrying.
Just do the thing that you’re afraid of.
And repeat.
This week’s Soul Question: Have you ever done something that scared you? What was it and how did you get through it? Share with us in the comments below!
ps: Want to learn how to get out of your own way?
Click here to download your free manifesting training with me! I’m excited to help you create the things you want from a place that makes your Soul happy!
