day 15 – trust the process

In keeping with my new slogan: make shit happen, I have been reflecting on how to do just that.  Yesterday I talked about starting, today is on pushing through.

Here’s what I know:
In order to make shit happen you have to want it bad enough - you have to be passionate.  Passion ignites the flame that inspires the actions that makes dreams become reality.  Passion is what brings meaning and purpose into our lives, especially if that passion involves giving back, helping others and making a difference.  I have created a whole business around helping others to live more passion-filled lives, shit I even made it the slogan of One Down Dog.  Living a life in line with our purpose and our passion brings more joy and reduces suffering - no brainer right? Not so easy though, I have struggled to identify what my passion is for years, what my purpose in this life is… there are just SO many things to be interested in.  I have found some tools to help me along the way, questions that I have asked myself that have helped me gain clarity.  Here are some of them:

1. What is most important to you in the world?
2. What makes you super excited to get up in the morning?
3. What do you spend your free time doing?
4. What does your perfect day look like: what are you doing, who are you with, when do you wake up/go to bed?
5. What do your friends/family tell you that you are best in the world at?

It took a long time, but as I approach 30, I now feel confident that I am aligned with my passion… so now what? I know what I want to do, I have a clearer picture as to what my purpose is, but passion won’t pay the bills it can only take me so far.  The rest is up to me - now is time for action!

First things first: VISUALIZATION
Imagine exactly what you want. All the details – what does it look like, feel like, etc. - get specific!

Next: ACTION
Act as if.  Take the next right step.  Ask for help.  Be vigilant.  Open up to possibility, synchronicity, opportunity.   Align your actions with your intention and attitude - reflect, adjust, repeat.

Lastly: TRUST THE PROCESS
The process is never easy.  There will be good and bad days – the bad days allow us to truly appreciate the good – it’s all about perspective.  When we can get out of our own way, step into the flow and allow things to unfold - knowing that we have done the best we could - amazing things will happen.  No matter how much we visualize, how much we act, in the end things will not always look how we imagined, shit will come up, it will seem as if we have failed.  Don’t stop.  Trust the process.  Everything is a lesson, an opportunity to grow closer to our goals – stronger, smarter, better.  In the end, one day we will wake up and that visualization, that image we created, has not only happened but is more beautiful and wonderful than we could have ever imagined.

Last week I was feeling like crap about this blog, about the direction of my life, about life in general.  This week I received an email re: an amazing business coach exactly when I needed one, a return email to schedule an appointment with someone in my field that could be a wonderful connection, had a meeting at a space that could become the first One Down Dog studio, and met with the owner of a studio I am hoping to teach at soon.  I can chose to focus on all of that, or look at the negative that the email came months later and the studio isn’t in the right location or the right size and the friends place is too far and the this and the that.  Fuck all that noise – shit is happening and I trust the process!

Yes, this whole post is a pep talk to myself – deal with it :P

4 more years!! :)