Last week, I shared that we will only rise to the level of success (professionally, financially, relationally, etc) that we
expect for ourselves —whatever we think we are worth. If you missed it, click
HERE.
Look around
your life. Whatever you have is what you believe you're worth. These can be challenging words, because it's hard to take ownership for where we are in life. (Stay with me because our freedom lies in ownership!)
Our best thinking got us here. So our best thinking can't take us beyond this, until we expand our insights and increase our perceived self-worth. Or, more accurately, restore our self-worth, because we were all born with the beleif that we were enough.
I have been an entrepreneur now for about twenty-one years. I could never have predicted that my sudden break from corporate sales, due to physical challenges, would include so many different pursuits:
Professional photography, digital art, hobby painting, publishing a book, unexpectedly becoming a professional artist at my book launch, inspirational speaking, writing a coaching program, writing another one. And launching my women's retreats, Paint, Paddle & Play.
This sounds like quite a lot of success, right? And it is a measure of success. But each of these entities are still barely out of seed form. Their growth is modest and promising, but nowhere near the impact and reach I secretly hope for. Why is that?
I've prayed and prayed for increase over the years, and recently God broke it down for me during a time of meditation.
I may say the words, I want expansion, but it's no use when everything in my body says, I want to stay small and safe. I want all success to be manageable without significant obligation to others, or to the future. Yikes. Pretty restricted thinking, right?
Is it okay to be this honest with you?
I don't want you to just see the polish—the list I mentioned above that looks so nice and shiny. I want you to know the struggles, too, so that you can realize I am just like you, and be encouraged to grow with me. We may be called to different things, but don't think for a minute that I am without my struggles, or my self doubt.
So last week, God challenged me to find ways to stir my imagination so that my whole self is on board with seeking expansion in all the ways that I show up professionally.
I really don't want to share this part, but here goes. A phrase came to me during that meditation:
I am willing to be a conduit of millions.
What?! Millions? That's pretty scary to admit to myself, and far more terrifying to share it with you. Because if I don't make it,
then we will both know I failed.
How many of us don't even try something for fear of being judged a failure? The only way to truly fail is to not try.
I have long had lofty, philanthropic goals. I want to make a big difference and I need money to do that. In no particular order, I want to help poor kids and single moms. Neglected and abandoned animals. The homeless. And more.
Money is a tool. It's currency that is meant to flow in and out, in and out. Without personal attachment, meaning it's not personal—money (having it or not having it) was never meant to be part of our identities.
Many of us grew up with screwed up ideas about money. Most of us heard that money is the root of all evil, but that's not true. It's the love of money that hurts people.
Some of us have avoided money to avoid the problems we perceived were attached to money. Some of us were afraid our friends might feel threatened if we had financial success. If you have less money than you think you want, why do you suppose you have avoided having more? These are hard
questions, I know.
Here's something else God is showing me in these "financial meditations." Financial success has nothing to do with my self-worth. That's a twist because earlier I said that you cannot have
expansion without improving your self worth.That's true, too, but that's not the whole story.
I have to change my perceived self-worth and my limited beliefs in order to receive all the blessings God has for me.
But the money itself is not proof of self-worth.
Our self-worth is inherent. We were born with it. Then life happens, negative beliefs take hold, and we start living under our means, meaning,
below what our original self-worth would feel comfortable achieving.
The goal of transforming our negative thinking and right-sizing our self-perceptions is not to puff up our self-worth, but to restore it
to where it was in the first place (while always maintaining humility). As that happens, expansion comes and our lives can become full.
The fullness is not the source of our self-worth, rather,
right-sized self-worth is the source of our fullness.
I want to be a vessel inviting currency to flow in and out so that I can redirect it to people who need it. Additionally, I want to be willing to receive
all the blessings and gifts in my own life, including nice things and rich family experiences. It is okay to have nice things as long as the love of those nice things doesn't cost me my humility, and supercede the things I treasure most. What about you?
Wow this got really deep! Perhaps a Part Two is needed, but the short story is I'm creating an audio meditation that will stir my imagination to visualize greater measures of success and impact that simultaneously feel good and safe. Something I can embrace, yet powerful enough to help me get used to the idea of having a few more zeros in my life.
(Is this a group coaching session I should put in the works?)
Why shouldn't we believe for the things that line up with our inherent gifts, generous hearts, and
our desired impact? Right-sizing our self-worth is a worthy pursuit. (If you want good company moving toward something you value, be sure to see the announcement below about Micro Magic, my virtual group coaching event happening again in January.)
Have a beautiful, rich Thanksgiving week!
