My 4th grade teacher was a smart, sassy redhead. I remember overnight lock-ins, a science experiment that involved having the cute boys in class smell my perfume, and making a board game about whales, of all things.
She had an infectious spirit that made you want to learn. When I think about the short list of good teachers that I had as a kid, she was very near the top. Penny (and when we were really lucky, her kids and husband would be around the classroom, too) was one of those teachers that believed in you - and by extension helped you to believe in yourself.
And she's still making an impact in my life, to this day... since she's also a Facebook friend.
After my recent car incident, I've spent a lot of time ruminating on "the meaning of life" and all that jazz. I've been reading Chopra, Blanchard, delving into purpose, watching videos, listening to audios - and basically reassessing a lot of what has meaning in my life.
But that's not how God created us. We are meant to be explorers, connectors, bridge builders, peacemakers, healers, performers, artists, lovers, and anything else that the Divine spark of life puts in our hearts.
Each of us comes to these roles at different stages in life... and sometimes not at all. Sometimes, we have all we can do to keep up with one role. And then there are the multi-faceted, multi-passionate among us: those who learn with voracity, who love life, and want to experience/try/test out all kinds of things. There are those of us that have lived multiple lifetimes, worn multiple masks, and had multiple careers in our brief stint on earth.
Each is as it should be. Why should we scowl at a man who's spent most of his life singing when he also paints beautifully? Who are we to say he can/should only "pick one thing and do it well"? Tony Bennett is in his 80's. If he wants to sing and paint, I say let him.
So as I was grappling with this idea, in preparation for my 30 day Dream Business Breakthrough program, I posted a remark on Facebook about my multi-faceted nature, and how it sometimes doesn't seem to make sense.
And Penny, my 4th grade teacher, opened my eyes to a truth she'd seen all those years ago that I've only come to see in the past few years:
We spend so much of our lifetime trying to reclaim what we've buried. Things and ideas that people from our past can easily see within us - even when we've been too busy letting "life happen" to see it for ourselves. Nearly 30 years ago, Penny saw the beginning of my path... so simple and pure, yet honest and true.
If only I had opened my own eyes sooner, right?
You don't have to look outside yourself. You just have to trust yourself. I say "just" as if that's an easy thing. It's not. I know it's not. Especially if you're carrying a multiplicity of ideas, careers, concepts, and dreams. When the world says "pick one" we hear the unspoken "...and forget the others!"
In reality, we need to hear "pick one (for now - and give it all you've got, until it's time to move on)." But we struggle in a world where a single specialty seems lauded. Yet there are countless stories of people who spend decades doing something to pay the bills because they're good at it, only to reach burnout, give it up, and go do what their heart was calling them into all along.
It knows (sometimes better than we do) what we really need to be about in the world. Sometimes that means doing the hard thing simply because no one else can - because if we don't, no one else will. If Edison hadn't refined electricity and developed moving pictures, there'd be no Hollywood, no Summer blockbusters, no Steven Spielberg. Steven couldn't live out his dream until Edison took ownership of his own dreams.
What is calling to you? What feels impossible, yet still burns in your heart for you to pursue? I'm unfolding that space for myself right now. My purpose is calling me into a space I feel inadequately equipped to step into. Then I'm reminded that God doesn't always call the equipped, right? God equips the called.
We are gathering this September for a powerful 30-day exploration of how to make these changes that get us unstuck and stepping into our greatness. It's both a spiritual and practical journey. We are a select number of seekers joining together to uplift, support, encourage, and embolden each other during our time of opening, expanding, and stepping boldly. It's not always easy work, and it's amazingly fulfilling.
And I'll be there as well, journeying with you, as I continue to uncover what my true purpose holds for me at this stage in my journey. If you desire that deeper connection, that community, that open space where the spiritual matters can peacefully and beautifully co-exist with business matters, I invite you to join us for the 30 day Dream Business Breakthrough.
IF you feel called to join us, I want you there, and I've made this as affordable as I know how. The "pay what you can" option expires Friday evening. We begin on Sunday. I hope you'll prayerfully consider journeying with us.