Fresh Starts

When I finally woke up, I realized I wasn't alone. Other people, perhaps you, have had painful childhoods or broken relationships, suffering from unexpected situations causing stress or even PTSD. There are healers in this world, moving us from judgment through forgiveness, of ourselves and others, to love. Even fun and joy; because once we are healed from our past, where do we go from there? Fill your life with Light so the darkness has nowhere to live. Shadows will come and go, and you will always find your way back to the Light. There are also a lot more people who need access to that healing, the healing that goes deep enough to pull out old roots and plant new seeds. First, I had to learn to say "No" to all the things (and people) that weren't good for me. It took many years and a ton of practice. It was like realizing that driving through the back alley was bad for my car. It was full of potholes and stressed the shocks. When I decided to start avoiding the alley and take the paved and well-maintained streets instead, I still turned into the alley at least once a day for the next five days. It was a habit, learned from repetition. It had become my habit to turn there and it took five days before I was consistently avoiding the potholes altogether by taking the second turn instead of the first. Same for my life… It took time, once I was even aware of how my choices had put me where I was, to make new choices and receive the rich results and rewards from those. Unfortunately, most lifestyle habits have been habits for too long and will take more than five days to change. The key to significant long-term change and transformation? Staying supported! Surround yourself with people on a similar journey. Share your experiences, insights and ideas with others and listen as they share, too. Step 2 Left step, Right step, Rock Step First, let me go on record as saying that living life, and especially starting and running a business, is quite a bit like swing dancing. To be specific, East Coast swing which has a left step, right step, rock step pattern. Doing the Footwork To be a good swing dancer, you are always in partnership with someone else. To be a good entrepreneur and business owner, you are always in partnership. It may be different from day to day: customers; clients; vendors; staff; consultants; business partners (if you have any); economic influences; sales and expenses. Got it? Sometimes you are leading; other times, be prepared to follow. It may be messy. When your partner leads you into a spin, are you ready to pivot? The more you are present and aware of these elements, the better the dance will go.