I just wrapped up the Woman Unleashed Online Retreat. AMAZE BALLS. Over 3,000 women joined us from over 125 countries. 23 women guided retreat sessions on everything from handling wealth to planning out your year to aligning to your core values to art processes to open your spirit.
Every year I always hear from a couple who instead of feeling inspired and nurtured feel overwhelmed and frazzled. What is there that makes us feel the pressure to get it all done? To be the A student? To get it right even if it means making ourselves miserable? What are we afraid we’ll miss?
There is a voice that is holding us back, making us think we have take it all in… an underlying feeling that if we miss something, we are somehow less than. An energy of grasping and grabbing, a feeling of lack. It is about control.
The thing is, it can be easy to just power through things to learn, learn, learn, do, do, do. There is a difference between learning and living. Bringing our learnings into our lives. Moving from thinking about something to our becoming it.
I remember a couple years ago feeling confused about my spiritual path. The one I grew up with wasn’t working any more and it felt like my foundation was cracking from underneath me. I was so HUNGRY to connect to my spirit. I read book after book about spirituality. I’d power through them in a day or two and move on to the next. Searching. Searching.
Eventually I felt FULL. Like if I read any more, my head would explode. Like I had filled up enough and now was a time to bring it out of my head into my life.
Today in the middle of a visualization I was leading for the women in my mentorship group, I asked how to INTEGRATE the things that were most important to me in a way that would work for ME. Instead of adding it to my To Do List, how could I bring the change I want?
This is what I got:
A NEST????
Then it hit me. I need to create an environment for myself like a mother does for her chicks… where I am well nourished, body, mind and spirit. I need it set up so the things that feed my soul are easy to do, no efforting to make it happen. I am changing the energy to abundance and flow, setting up an environment of trust and receiving.
Here are 4 ways to Build Your Nest (aka. Bring your learnings into your life):
1) Make it EASY
If you know what you want to change, make it easy for yourself. Think of all the things that have kept you from doing it in the past and set it up so you don’t fail before you start.
If you know you want to integrate more creativity into your life but… You’re too busy, you get caught up, you forget, you feel guilty… you need to find a way through the excuses into what you want.
Here is what I do: Set my journal, markers and mini watercolor set in a spot next to my bed so when I wake up, they are there within reach.
Think about how to easy-ify things for you. Want to paint? Have your canvas, water, paints and brushes ready so you can walk in and paint even if you only have 10 min. If you want to start drinking more water (that’s me), set a glass near your bed so you wake up and take a swig. If you want to start walking in the morning, set your alarm earlier and put it 1/2 way across the room with your clothes and shoes folded next to it so you have to get up.
Do you see what I’m talking about? Look at what is going to stop you before you get started.
2) Make it feel GOOD
I avoid change if it’s gonna feel icky. This is why I got 4 years behind in taxes. I tried the head in the sand technique with my finances. So. Not. Recommended.
How’d I shift it? I made it fun. Taxes, fun? Well….. I made up a point system and I rewarded myself with treats like buying a watercolor brush or getting my hair done. And when I finished up, I took $ from our tax refunds and took a vacation.
There is already a desire to make the change but how can you make it even more appetizing, more yummy. Think Cherry on the Top.
3) Make ROOM
This is a way one of the women came up with today in her visualization. Create space. If you have everything planned back to back, there isn’t room for integration. Part of integration is letting your brain have some down time to rewire on the inside.
This is why people are more productive and effective when they take vacation and breaks. This is why my work week is Mon-Thurs (10a-2p) with a siesta or tea time too. As my husband says, Slow down to speed up.
This is about letting the energy of control go, trusting and making room to receive. You can’t receive if you are taking care of it yourself. So let go. It feels sooooooo good.
4) Make it SACRED
My transformation hasn’t come by me MAKING things happen. It has come through surrendering to Spirit (God, Source, Divine). By tapping into the power of something bigger than myself, shift happens.
Some of my biggest transformations have been during ritual, ceremony and prayer.
Letting the Mystery take the lead. If you’d like to explore a connection to Spirit and creativity through a painting initiation,
consider joining me for my upcoming course Legend.
I’d love to know what you do to integrate your learning and not just let it be another bit of information sitting in your head. Comment below and let’s trade secrets.
