Lately, I’ve been curious about the universe, energy, and a world we don’t know about. I believe there is a lot beyond our perception, and how can we possibly understand what we don’t know or even perceive? Questions like “Does everything happen for a reason?” and “What happens when we die?” – no one knows for a fact.
This is where useful beliefs become useful. We get to create our own stories about how the world works and use these stories as guiding principles for our lives! How cool is that?
An online masterclass called Spirituality 101 with Lisa O’Neill landed in my inbox and was just what I needed. And although I’ve linked you to the class, I don’t know if/when she will offer it again. You could sign up for her list; in the meantime, I’ll share my notes.
I discovered if I don’t take my spirituality so seriously, it becomes more accessible to me. I can pick and choose. I can curate my own religion. No one needs to know about it, and there is no fear of getting it wrong.
Which is a lot like ski tuning. Yep, bear with me. I’m heading off on a metaphor story (A metastory!) I finally have my own ski tuning bench in the garage. This has been a long-time desire, but I’ve never had a garage until now. So, I had to find a workbench and vises to hold the skis. Then, I watched many videos to teach myself the ski waxing technique.
Last night, I went to the garage, put my skis on the vise, fired up the iron, and pulled out my tools. I felt incredibly self-sufficient. The vise isn’t perfect for my skis, so I must continue researching to find something suitable. I used a temporary workaround and then melted the wax onto the skis. I was terribly nervous when I used the iron to work the wax in, but I played it conservatively on the temperature as I ran the iron up and down the ski surface. I then scraped the wax off as instructed and realized I didn’t have the right tool to scrape the wax out of the grooves. I ran into the kitchen and got a chopstick. I proudly held it and worked the wax out of the grooves.
This morning, I started my work day with a Nordic skate and my skis glided perfectly!
Did I do it right? Definitely not. I had to cobble a bunch of things together. Did it matter? 100 percent not. When I stopped focusing too hard on doing it right, I was much lighter with the task and enjoyed the meditation of working on my own skis.
When it comes to our own beliefs and spirituality – the stories we create for ourselves – are these stories we’ve created true or not? Who knows for certain, and who cares? If they serve you, that’s all that matters.
It’s important to have a set of stories, like a personal mission statement, that guides our decisions and behaviors.
And what’s so great about it? You have your stories and everything you need. You don’t have to worry about doing it wrong. Don’t worry if the iron is too hot or if you leave too much wax residue in the grooves. You can fix it later, but rest assured the following day, you will be gliding smoothly even when things aren’t that smooth.
I encourage you to reflect on this and write your own stories as you head into 2024. I know you can do it.
As an outcome of my Spirituality 101 class, I decided to buy some crystals that make me happy and a box of oracle cards. I had never bought these cards because I thought I had to “know” how to use them. Well, I can use them any way I please. So I end my days by letting a card from the deck choose me. And I read about it before I go to bed. I reflect on it with gratitude and put the card under my pillow.
Last night, “encouragement” chose me. If I want more encouragement in my life, how am I giving encouragement? It advised me to write a letter of encouragement to my inner child and then send it to someone I know.
Consider this my letter of encouragement.
With love (and encouragement),
SOME WAYS I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU AND YOUR TEAM:
LEAD YOUR WAY: This mentoring/coaching program is designed to help you step into your leadership and show up as your best self so you can communicate to connect and amplify your impact.
COMMUNICATE TO CONNECT: In my storytelling workshops, I teach leaders of all capabilities how to engage authentically with their teams, community, and stakeholders to create meaningful connections that build trust, increase team engagement and lead to better fundraising and revenue generation.
Did you have something else in mind? Let’s talk and see how I might be able to help. Contact me and we’ll schedule a chat.
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