Lamisha Serf-Walls

February Mini-theme: Authentic Connection

by

I can hardly believe that we are at the end of January!  Did the month fly by for you as much as it did for me?

How are your 2014 intentions holding up?  This is usually around the time things start to turn south and people begin forgetting the reasons they started in the first place.  Missed goals, frustration, roadblocks, and sometimes just overwhelm can be enough to cause some people to fall back into old habits.  But, I am not going to let you do that.

Tomorrow is a new beginning (as is each day), but it is also a new month.  So, whatever ‘failures'(I hate that word) you feel like you had this month, wipe them clean and start fresh! Re-set yourself and keep moving forward.  Life happens and while we can’t stop it, we can flow with it, so here is your chance to FLOW.

With that said, it might be a good time to set a mini-theme for the month of February.

I was thinking about this a few days ago and decided that since my overall theme of the year is to “Show Up” and I had decided that December and January would be used to do as many introductory coaching sessions as possible (with a mini-theme of Service), it might be nice to set a mini-theme for February.

The purpose of setting a mini-theme is not to add one more thing to your to do list, but instead to help you focus on a specific area for the month.  You may decide you don’t want to change your theme every month and that’s ok.  Do whatever works and feels right for you.

The mini-theme I settled on is Authentic Connection.  Connection can mean so many things, but I want to take this month to really focus on connecting with my readers (you lovely dreamers), my Facebook and Twitter followers and other coaches/writers/blogs etc.  I want to support and connect with people from all over the world in a variety of ways.  This also applies to my ‘real life’ and not just my online life.  I want to chat with people in line at the grocery store and really see and hear people.  I don’t think we do enough of that overall, so that is my focus!

If you want to join me in selecting a theme for the month, I would love to hear what you choose!  Before you decide on a word, take a moment to tap into what you really need for the month.  Maybe it’s self-care, compassion, or kindness.  Maybe love for yourself, your clients, your neighbors, and strangers (February is the month for love).  Whatever you choose make sure it resonates with you and your path.

Feel free to share your mini-theme in the comments below and I would love to have you follow me on Twitter to post updates about your mini-theme.

Have a wonderful weekend and as always, thanks for reading!

Faith, Fun, & the Experience of Bliss and How You Can Have It Too

by

Happy Monday Dreamers!

Here we are in the first full week of the New Year and it’s going to be a big one for Life Once Dreamt.  I not only have a guest post to share with you, but also a wonderful podcast interview that I will share as soon as it is ready for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the coaching process.  

Before we get into all that this week, I wanted to share with you a little bit about my last few weeks.  I was going to send this to my newsletter subscribers only, but decided to share it with all of my blog followers as well.  If you aren’t on my VIP/Newsletter list, hop on over here to get signed up.  I have some new services that I am offering and will be opening them up to my VIP list first along with some special pricing for my VIP list only, so you don’t want to miss out.  

As you may recall in December I was officially laid off from my full-time day job.  I initially had this feeling that it was a sign that I was ready to dive head first into my business and that I would immediately reap the benefits of overflowing creativity, tons of clients, and would easily make up the income I was missing from the day job.  While it didn’t exactly happen that way, this morning I found myself feeling full of gratitude and peace for all that is going on right this very moment.

You see, while the last three weeks may not have unfolded the way I thought they would, I am at peace.  I don’t have a full-time job, yet I am not worried about finances, bills, or when I will get another job.  I do not have that needy-anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach that I would have gotten 2 years ago in this same situation because I don’t know what is going to happen next.  In fact, I am perfectly ok not knowing what lies ahead as it helps me to focus fully on the moment.  It has taken me many years to get to this place of full faith and trust that it is all going to unfold perfectly…for me and that might not be the way I thought it would be, but it will be perfect nonetheless.

What changed?

Well aside from the lessons I have learned personally over the years and what I have learned in building my business, I recently read a post by Michelle Ward that gave me a bit of insight into what it is like for her to run her business in a week.  I was touched and inspired to utilize the next several weeks putting energy, focus, and love into my business.  I wanted to create the necessary space for my ideas to flow, my creativity to run wild, and for me to experience what it might be like for me when I am running my business full-time and I have to admit, so far it has been amazing.

I am enjoying every moment I have to imagine, envision, and create amazing programs for my clients.  I have ideas coming to me almost daily now that the excess stuff is out-of-the-way and I am living my purpose by coaching clients, co-hosting a workshop, writing, and meeting with potential clients.  And the best part?  I am having fun! Bliss

It struck me that as many people head back to work after time off for the holidays, I am loving what I do, while so many others are dreading the week ahead.  I remember that feeling and while I have accepted the fact that I might have to find another full-time job until my business can sustain me financially, I know that as long as I am doing what I love, everything will fall into place.

Are you one of those people who is heading back to work today with dread and anxiety?  Stressing over a job that pays the bills, but doesn’t energize and fuel your passion for life?  If so, I encourage you to take some time this week to consider what you would do if were going to follow your passion. Don’t worry about if it’s possible or realistic.  Instead, see it, feel it, and imagine what it would be like to actually do it.  Now, not later.  

purposeWant to know how to make that a reality?  I want more people to feel what I have felt over the last few weeks and I would love to chat with you about where your passion lies.  What is the thing (or things) that makes your eyes light up and energizes your soul?  Contact me to find out how you can get a free session to chat more about your dream and to come up with a plan to do more of what you love.  Life is short, shouldn’t you spend it doing the things you enjoy?  

Start Where You Are

by

It’s a new year and you finally know what you want to do.  Your dreams are big, your inspiration is on fire, but your confidence is a little lacking.

You aren’t quite sure where to start.  Maybe you have some doubts about if you have what it takes to begin.

You wonder:  Do I have enough money?  Time?  Experience?  Do I even know how to get started? I mean if you had all that wouldn’t you have started already?

Maybe not.

The truth is, very few people have everything they need to accomplish their dreams up front.  Sure, you may have an idea of what you need to get started, but what if inspiration is all you need to get started?  What if, deciding what you want to do is the only thing you need to begin?

What if that were true?

I have a secret.  That is all you need to get started, but chances are you know more than just that.

You have inspiration, ideas, imagination, and you already know some of what is needed to get started and there is something you can do now to move you in the direction of your dreams.

Start where you are.where you are

Don’t wait until you have the money, the time, the steps, the certification, and the perfect plan.  Start now, with what you have.

There is always something you can do to get you moving in the right direction and I promise it doesn’t have to be hard or frustrating.  It can be fun, exciting, and inspiring.  Not sure how to start?  Need a little nudge or a creative pow wow?

I can help.  I can meet you where you are with all that inspiration in your soul and help you find that first step.  That first simple, fun, and exhilarating step that together, we can build on through our coaching together.  It’s time for you to respond to the call and make your dreams a reality.

Interested? If so, contact me today and we can get you scheduled for your intro session to discuss your beautiful dream.  Together we can make some incredible things happen.  What are you waiting for?

2014 Planning In Pieces

by

medium_11687937746

Happy New Year my beautiful Dreamers!

I had every intention of writing a post on the first day of January, however I ended up spending some time with family and worked a bit on a workshop I am co-hosting later this month.  I did, however want to share with you how I am implementing my “planning” for the year, but before I get into that, let’s talk a bit about why everyone gets so worked up over resolutions.

It seems logical that a shiny new year is the right time to make changes in life, but the reason so many people fail to keep their resolutions is because they can often be both overzealous and all-or-nothing.  For instance, wanting to get into shape doesn’t necessarily mean you have to run 50 miles a week right off the bat and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to cut out large food groups from your diet.  Other resolutions like wanting to stop smoking or drinking sodas tends to render the same effect.  People want immediate change and while it might last for a few days, it very rarely results in lasting change.

While I haven’t really been a bit resolution maker in the past, I tend to get excited about what a new year may bring.  There seems to be a special appeal about making big changes and goals beginning on the first day of the year.  It’s similar to the feeling I get when I purchase a new notebook or journal.  Crisp pages, with the promise of fresh ideas, creative pieces, and other amazing creations that may appear on the page.  The New Year is like that for many.

In the past two years I have found that I benefit best from planning for the year ahead in pieces.  I don’t get too serious about the big, bold steps in between, and am more concerned with the first one.  Knowing what I want to accomplish is a wonderfully creative process where I get to visualize and imagine the best year yet, while still making room for surprises and other magical moments.  I have also always wanted to try out a creative planning tool for the new year that takes a less “logical” approach to planning and this year I think I have found the one.

I am using Leonie Dawson’s 2014 Create Your Amazing Year planner for business and personal planning and boy is it a beautifully crafted, creative planner!  And while the shiny, New Year was quickly approaching, I thought I would have an opportunity to dig into it before January 1st, but with family etc. I didn’t get as far as I initially wanted and that’s ok, because this year I am planning 2014 in pieces.  January is going to be my month of brainstorming, dreaming, creating, and following my inspiration wherever it may lead.  I already have some things in mind for this year and I am really looking forward to what is left to be revealed throughout the year.  One thing is for sure, this year is going to be incredible.

The “logical” planner might wonder how I can be so sure of what the outcome will be if I don’t have a specific, step-by-step breakdown of how I am going to make this year epic.  My answer? I know it because I not only trust that each step will lead me to the next, but I have also set the expectation that it will be.

And so it is.
photo credit: thomasstache via photopin cc

2014: Theme of the Year

by

Moving along with my end of year planning posts, I wanted to share a bit with you about my theme of this coming year.  If you have been following me for a while now, then you may remember last year my theme for 2013 was to “Be Open”.  I wanted to simply allow myself to be open to the possibilities, opportunities, and ideas that came about for 2013.  I can honestly say that those words were perfect for this year and they led me to create my coaching business from the ground up.

So, as we move into 2014, I had a bit of trouble figuring out what my theme would be.  I had a lot of ideas that came to mind, but none of them really felt just right.  Some of the words that came to mind were “Service” and “Beginnings”, but neither really made my souls say “YES”!

When I allowed myself the space to let the words just come to me, I came up with the perfect theme…Show Up.

What does that mean?tama

It means that no matter what this year, I am making a commitment to myself to show up to the opportunities and changes that I am making even if they scare me.  The inspiration came from a book by Tama Kieves called Inspired & Unstoppable where she reminds lovely creative souls to show up to their work, their craft, and their calling no matter what.  Her words touched my heart and really resonated with me and when the words came to me, I knew they were perfect for 2014.

In a few days of putting this theme to practice, I  have learned that the simple act of “showing up” creates the space for inspiration to occur.  For example when I am intimidated by the blank page, if I commit to just sitting down, then something always comes out.

Simply put, regardless of the insecurities, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and any other reason that might cause me to procrastinate on something that is important to me, I commit to showing up.

I have learned that nine times out of ten the fear and worry are unwarranted and the simple act of showing up allows me to continue to grow and evolve as an individual and as a coach.

Have you thought about setting a theme or a word for the New Year?  If you haven’t ever tried it before, I encourage you to give it a try.  Think about it, write it down, and revisit it throughout the year.  You might be surprised at how your year progresses when using this simple practice.

There are a lot of other bloggers and coaches using this same practice if you want to check them out before you decide on your own word.  Check out Tiffany Han‘s word of the year to see why she chose the word she did.  If you decide you want to choose one of your own, I would love to hear it.  Share in the comments below!