It’s been 20 months since I was “released” from my job and career of 25 years, and committed to never going back to work for someone else again.
And boy, does that scare me. Still.
In fact, fear stopped me in my tracks again this month, and it took everything I have learned and know to manage that energy in a way that made it possible for me to grow through that fear rather than shrivel up, fall down and never get up again.
If you’ve read my special report, Becoming a Wise Well Woman- How to Baby Step Your Way to More Wisdom, Well-being and Wealth in Your Life, then you’ve read my admission that I am often afraid. Baby Step #7 reminds me to transform my fear into positive energy. Easier said than done, sometimes, I know!
So as I worked through my Baby Steps this month to transform my fear, this time I grew much stronger than I was before and ready to STEP UP in a BIG WAY! And I know now that that’s how it’s supposed to be.
For a few years now, I’ve been developing my self-care practice, embracing simple rituals, and creating what has become my 12 Baby Steps. And I’ve taken lots of baby steps, forward and back, and then forward again, and some even in circles.
Now it’s time for me to STEP UP, beyond Baby Steps, onto a new level. One of my mentors, Sandy Grason, calls it “Playing BIG!”. Heather Dominick calls it “up-leveling”. Intellectually I’ve understood the concept for a while, but now, I actually see the stairway in front of me, leading to a new platform. And from that platform, there is another set of steps, up and up and up.
And the steps don’t stop. They disappear into a wisp of clouds. Clearly, my potential is limitless! And so is yours.
You see, I’m “Stepping UP” and I know that I am called to take you with me when you are ready to go. At each and every step, I will turn and reach back to anyone who has been willing to do the work to get there.
Like me, when you are ready, you will know that it’s time to STEP UP!
How will you know you’re ready?
- Your favorite self-care practices are fully integrated into your daily life.
- You consciously choose how you live each day.
- You’ve developed a network of mentors, gentle guides and compassionate friends and you use them for support!
- You have gathered a box full of tools and treasures that provide inspiration and motivation, especially when you feel blocked, stuck or fearful.
- You honor your voice and speak your truth boldly, without hesitation.
- You can clearly “see” your vision & you can actually see yourself stepping up effortlessly.
- You’ve adopted a system and committed to a process to identify and take inspired actions.
- You’ve learned how to celebrate and give thanks and you are thrilled to share your success!
Simple, isn’t it?
It’s really all a part of your life’s journey. When you claim the journey as your own, amazing things will happen to you.
Certainly, mastering the baby steps is not easy. It takes time and practice and commitment to change.
And believe me, if I can do it, so can you!
Note from Nanette- Just in case you haven’t seen my newsletter – this was the intro to the post above…and my admission that I just couldn’t seem to get this thing done…seems I’m not alone. But with the commitment to baby steps, we do eventually get there! So here’s the note from my newsletter…
Magical, isn’t it? This time of year is truly special. There’s so much to share and memories to create! Did you take lots of pictures?
And what about your New Year’s plans? Are you ready for 2010? Can you believe we are just days away from another chance at new beginnings? I don’t know about you, but I am getting ready– refreshed, renewed, re-charged and re-born!
I have a confession to make– it’s taken me nearly this entire month to get out of a “funk” that started back in mid-November. You may recall that last month I became aware of a repetitive end of year need to take on BIG, new, wild-idea challenges. I chose to take a break from that self-sabotaging pattern. Almost as quickly as that awareness freed me from creating more chaos, it stopped me in my tracks. For a while I called it “writer’s block”, then “procrastination” and “laziness”, and then I was just “too busy”. Mostly, I just felt stuck.
This newsletter was scheduled to go out three weeks ago, and I just couldn’t make it happen. I had successfully stopped myself from creating “noise in my head” but in it’s place was nothing at all.
But that’s not really true. For me, “nothing” is always something. And once again, that something was paralyzing FEAR. Thank goodness I am celebrating this holiday season reminded that faith does conquer fear. This day, and every day, I choose faith not fear.
Happy New Year to All!
May the gifts of faith, hope, love and peace be yours this holiday season and always.
In the spirit of wisdom, wellness and prosperity–