Here’s an opinion that will be unpopular in the self development world: There is no urgency with your life’s work.
There, I said it.
When people create urgency around supporting your art, business or creative work and taking it to the next level, it’s a red flag.
Your life’s work may intersect with your job or business, or it might not. That doesn’t matter, because its your life’s work.
Contrary to marketing and hustle culture, “right now” may not be your only chance or best moment to take that next big leap or “play big.”
“How much longer will you wait before making your dreams a reality?” the voices shout.
Well, until my intuition tells me it is the right time to pursue, begin, take action. And no, my dreams do not begin when I sign up for a coaching program or hire a mentor but when I listen to my intuition daily and follow my hearts quiet and subtle urges.
You know those urges, the ones which tell you to reach out to a loved one, sit quietly and drink a warm cut of tea while looking out the window while your phone is turned off. To go outside, to dance, to cook, to nurture, to confront, to play. To build and make something whacky, unprecedented, unmarketable. To be and do just because.
Those natural soul urges that are barely heard over the din of productivity. Over the din of capitalism and the tick-tick-tick of a work culture without rest.
The voices which tell us that now is the only chance to leap and find your wings on the way down are also the ones which activate your nervous system into a fight or flight stress response.
I want to hear the encouraging voices of a marketplace where the sellers encourage me to be with and know myself, to only seek outside of myself for answers if that is what my heart is telling me to do.
Instead of selling out our souls gentle nudges in the name of trading up and making it big, we would do well to listen to the true rhythm of our lives. The questions we could begin asking might look like:
“What major theme is coming up in my life right now and how does it connect to my evolution and expansion?”
“If I become mindful and tune into my feelings below my stress/nervous system response, what is my heart/intuition/gut telling me?”
“How would my dreams expand or change shape if I was getting enough true, deep rest?”
We can welcome whatever theme or energy is working through us and our life, regardless of whether it is positive or negative and in so doing fully digest and allow its teachings and magic to guide us like a gentle river.
If this wisdom is truly guiding us to strive for a 1 million dollar revenue year, or to quit the job or start the big project right now, then we know without a doubt that we are not abandoning ourselves.
We won’t be leaping for somebody else’s bait. We will be living elegantly forward through our dreams from self knowing and curiosity.
I will see you there.