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Who Do I Want To Be In This World?

March 1, 2015April 16, 2015 mydailywhale

Greatness Does Not Come From What You Do_350 Are you familiar with Marie Forleo? If not, check her out – she rocks some serious sass and energy and doles out some pretty awesome advice and insights on life, entrepreneurship, inspiration and much more.

I recently watched an episode from her MarieTV series entitled “What should I do with my life. Wait, don’t answer that.” Click here to check it out.

“What should I do with my life????” Well, if that isn’t the question that haunts my waking (and sleeping) hours!

I’m pretty familiar with this question as it has been an intermittent companion along my life’s journey. This past year, following the closing of my second business, Ambajam, this question has become my constant shadow. Letting go of the business was undoubtedly the right call for me, but letting go of that identity was tough…tough…tough. Who was I now that I was no longer an entrepreneur and a business owner? What value did I bring? Where did I fit? Knowing it was solely up to me, how did I want to write this next chapter of my life? Where did I start?

Marie suggests that rather than focusing on what we should “DO” with our lives, focus instead on who we want to “BE” in this world. The DO versus BE debate is nothing new but it struck me when I watched the episode that I have spent so much time this year trying to figure out what I want to “DO”. And, believe me that “DO” has proven to be quite elusive.

Bottom line is that I have been focusing on the form, structure, outward manifestation of the “DO”, trying to imagine an entity or a job title rather than asking myself who I want to “BE” in this world and letting that inform what I decide to “DO”.

Just shifting that one word, as Marie says, can totally change the dynamics and the energy behind the questioning. Shifting from “DO” to “BE” loosens things up, opens us up to authenticity, creativity, compassion, play and more.

So, who do I want to BE in this world?

I want to be someone who:

Is compassionate, loving and kind
Lives life with authenticity and integrity
Embraces her vulnerability as a strength
Makes a difference in this world and in the lives of those around her
Brings people together
Takes the time to really listen to and “see” others
Helps people open up to their true potential
Is curious about life
Embraces her creative, intuitive self and let’s her light shine
Experiences life from a place of engagement and inspiration
Radiates joy and lives a joy-filled life

Knowing who I want to “BE” is the foundation for moving forward. The opportunity now is to take what is in my heart and find ways to express that in the world.

Shift The Question Shift The Mindset:

If I am trying to find answers and what I’m doing isn’t working…try a different path! As Einstein said “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
Changing, even slightly, the perspective from which I am looking at something can make a world of difference.
Who I want to “BE” in this world is the energy I will bring to what I “DO”.
If I know who I want to “BE” then I can work into what I want to “DO”.
My way of being is the foundation on which everything else is built.

Clear the Clutter

January 30, 2015February 1, 2015 mydailywhale

Recently I went on a manic “clear the clutter” blitz of my apartment. While the blitz started off as a procrastination tactic it ended up being a perfect reminder of how much my creativity and thought process is impacted by what’s going on in my physical space.

I am in the midst of a transition, and I am often bombarded by thoughts like “What am I doing with my life?” “Where am I going?” “Why aren’t I clearer about what I want?” These are weighty and overwhelming thoughts, and they often get me stuck in neutral with no sense of how to move forward.

Desperate to shake off this “stuck” energy I broke away from my brooding one afternoon and took apart my kitchen. Over the next week that was followed by a blitz of my closet, bathroom, laundry room and office. When I started in on my office I felt such a huge sense of overwhelm. How was I going to tackle all the binders, the paperwork, the miscellaneous though possibly useful bits and bobs I had accumulated in my desk drawers?

I wanted to stop as soon as I started. But I didn’t. I chunked the room down and took one area at a time. Before I knew it hours had passed, and I had shredded hundreds of papers, emptied a good 30 binders, had 7 bags of garbage and a huge stack of office supplies to donate. Feeling the resistance and overwhelm then chunking down the project to something that felt manageable was hugely empowering and liberating.

I know that everything is energy, and this clear the clutter blitz was such a wonderful reinforcement of that knowledge. The weight that I felt lifted off of me when I cleared out and de-cluttered an area of my home felt amazing. To let go of “stuff” that had sat stagnant in my home, untouched and unused was extremely cleansing.

While I still have not fully answered the questions that have been looming over me, I can unequivocally say that clearing some of the physical clutter in my life has helped to loosen my thoughts and open up my creativity.

I know I feel alive when my creativity is being fed, and I know that my creativity cannot bloom when I am carrying around sluggish, heavy energy. Feeling open, lighter, less encumbered is a far more productive and fruitful place from which to contemplate Life’s big (or small) choices.

5 Takeaways from Clearing the Clutter :

Everything is energy. Shifting physical “stuff” frees up my energy on an emotional, mental and spiritual level.
If an area of my life feels stagnant it is helpful to look at what might be stagnant in my physical environment.
Remember that clearing stuck physical energy always helps me unstick in other areas.
When the idea of de-cluttering seems overwhelming, chunk it down and make the idea manageable.
Each action, however small, is action and action breeds more action and more action breeds momentum.
Creativity cannot bloom in stagnant soil.

Creating as a way of life

January 19, 2015January 28, 2015 mydailywhale

Being Creative is not a hobby it is a way of life It doesn’t matter to me that I am no great artist; the desire to create in form or idea is a pulse that runs deeply through me. At the heart of my experience with creativity is the idea of taking separate pieces and putting them together to create a new whole, literally and figuratively

There is a feeling of aliveness, grounding and freedom that I experience when I am in the process of creating. For me, creativity comes in many different forms and flavors. Wrapping a gift, vision boarding, doodling, cooking, brainstorming – all these things and more get my creative juices flowing.

When the wheels of creativity are turning I find myself shifting into a meditative state where I can let my mind take a break and just be in the moment – a hugely liberating experience for me!

Creativity helps me to not take myself too seriously. It allows me room to play. It gives me an outlet to express who I am. Creativity truly is a way of life!

Welcome to My Daily Whale!

January 15, 2015April 23, 2015 mydailywhale

Do you ever feel like you have thoughts and ideas bubbling up inside of you looking for a outlet and a way to be shared? About 6 months ago, out of nowhere, I started to feel this way big time.

The urge to find my voice and to write, to take what swirls around in my head and my heart and put it down on paper, came on strong. I felt drawn to capture and share the things that inspire me, the nuggets of opportunity that can be found in every situation, and the people, places and moments that bring joy, contentment and fulfillment to my life.

Last summer, when the little voice in my head started to say “write…write…write” my heart answered with a resounding “YES…this feels right!”. However, the voice of my inner critic responded with an equally resounding and strident “are you freaking crazy??!”

I am a fairly private person so the idea of putting my thoughts out into the world brings up a lot of vulnerability for me. In the lead up to launching My Daily Whale, resistance and doubt have been regular and familiar companions. I have asked myself repeatedly, “why do you think you can write? And even if you can, what makes you think anyone would be interested in your musings on life?” Oh, the joys of the inner critic!

At the same time I have experienced an unmistakable pull to take a leap of faith and start putting a little bit more of myself out into the world, to be more vulnerable, more open. What is the worst that can happen? I guess the worst that can happen is that no one reads my blog or those that do think my time would be better spent elsewhere.

But what if? What if what I write resonates with someone? What if what I write inspires someone to take action in their life? What if what I write gives voice to something someone else has not yet found a way to express? What if?

To me, the “What If’s” are worth the risk and I’m ready to take the leap and see if I can fly.

Thanks for coming along on this journey!

To read more about how My Daily Whale came about click here.