I’ve done the same thing. I’ve invested more money than I care to admit to learn how to grow my business. And, I grew my business to a point that many would consider incredibly successful. But, what I didn’t realize is that I was growing the business on a cracked foundation. Why? Because I listened to others more than I listened to myself. I tried to model others, more than I created a unique model that worked for me. I did what I thought I should do rather than what was 100% right for me and my life. I allowed some of my decisions to be made from my ego, rather than my heart.
You may find this ironic to hear from the woman who is known for her authenticity and for being a pioneer in conscious entrepreneurship. It surprised me, too, when with the help of my spiritual teacher I looked more closely at the business I had created and saw many things about it (and myself) that needed to shift.
What scared me the most, when I realized I hadn’t been listening to my SELF, is how many other people this is happening to. I teach about conscious entrepreneurship, I make it a discipline to be awake and aware to what’s really happening in my business. I focus on the conscious journey I’m on. And, yet I was asleep in some ways. I felt such compassion for myself that I hadn’t truly listened to the depths of my soul and what it was saying to me, and I felt compassion for all entrepreneurs who are asleep in some way in their business.
So, I’ve been on a journey of learning to listen to myself at a deeper level. And, I invite you to join me on this journey, too. I want to share four of the ways I’ve been deepening my ability to listen to my self. And, conveniently, they spell S.E.L.F…
Silence
In a world filled with noise, noise and more noise… silence truly is
golden. As entrepreneurs, we’re overwhelmed by email, phone calls, TV,
radio, social media, blogs, teleclasses, a long “to do” list, etc.
And, it’s all draws your focus to the external. Yet, in order to
succeed as a happy, fulfilled, successful conscious entrepreneur your
focus needs to be inside of yourself. Silence is how this happens.
So, today, please take five minutes to sit in silence. Breathe deeply
and tune into your internal world. Enjoy the silence and time to
simply be with yourself.
Evaluation
Rather than rushing from one thing to another, chasing creative ideas
as quickly as they arrive, allow yourself to evaluate everything. With
each step you take in your business, be conscious about what’s
happening. Does it feel right? Is it working? Is it fun and easy?
Did you say “yes” when you wanted to say “no”? Is it worth it? Is it
profitable? Too often, entrepreneurs get so excited about what’s next,
that they move forward too fast and say “yes” too often. The biggest
gift you can give yourself is to honestly evaluate what you’ve done and
what you want to do to make sure it is completely aligned with you,
your business and your life.
Listening
Listening piggy backs on silence. Once you turn your focus inward to
be present with your own beautiful being, it’s the perfect time and
space in which to listen to your heart. For entrepreneurs, it’s easy
to get wrapped up in the external world of money, success models,
marketing, networking, creating, etc. But, none of the external
aspects of your business will come together with grace if you don’t
take time to listen to what’s TRUE for you.
Focus on Freedom
Every decision you make in your business needs to bring you closer to
Freedom! And not only financial freedom; but freedom in every area of
your life. If you make a decision in your business that robs you of a
freedom you want in your life, it’s not the right decision to make.
Focusing exclusively on financial freedom can lead to overwhelm,
confusion, exhaustion and frustration. When you focus on freedom on
every level… financial, spiritual, physical and emotional… you will be
guided to make the right decisions for your self.
I encourage you to write these four principles on a sticky note or index card right now and place it somewhere near your computer. Use it as a reminder to be silent, evaluate, listen and focus on freedom as you travel the path of conscious entrepreneurship.
This guest post was written by: Christine Kloser, as was previously posted on: Powerfull Living (Blog).
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