I’m excited to offer the first guest post in the cool tool series. Cathy Wilke’s one of those people who combines a compassionate heart with straight forward advice. She has the ability to clearly see what’s going on. Hope you enjoy her article as much as I did.
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I have a core belief about the world–that there is divine assistance (also known as Grace) for those who are bringing help and healing into the world through their business.
It’s the force of good in the Universe that helps everything that is also a source of good.
Unfortunately, it’s extremely easy to miss out on this help or to stop that force from acting on our behalf.
One of the major ways of doing that is holding the mindset that I’ve often held: nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen.
I’ve spent a lot of time in this frame of mind thinking I was a go-getter, motivated, and a hard worker. And because I’m an extreme personality one of the major ways I use to try and get things done is to do more things.
When I’m overwhelmed I try to work harder and faster, hoping that with each thing I cross off my list, I’ll feel better and lighter and the feelings of overwhelm will subside.
But it’s actually the opposite. Once I cross something off, I go immediately to the next thing, hoping that one more task completed will give me the ease I’m so desperately seeking.
Because I just keep repeating the process, I get more and more frenzied as I gain momentum. Every time I cross something off, another thing jumps on to the bottom of the list and the next thing I know, I’m on a treadmill to nowhere.
Overwhelm is a feeling, not a fact
Overwhelm doesn’t come from having too many tasks and not enough time–it comes from holding on to the thought that you’ll never get it all done–that your to-do list is bigger than you are.
Overwhelm is a state of mind, completely separate from the circumstances. It’s borne out of fear and scarcity.
I find that when I’m feeling overwhelmed the best thing I can do is to step away from my work. And in order to do that I have to trust that my business isn’t going to fall apart the minute I turn my back.
Because when I step away, then I can lean in.
I can allow divine assistance to enter the scene.
I can connect to the LOVE that brought me to doing what I do in the first place.
I can connect to my bigger vision–to what I’m in service to.
And making that space and leaning into Grace changes things.
Answers, epiphanies, and relief from suffering don’t come from getting one more thing crossed off the list. They come when there’s space for them to emerge.
Leaning into Grace provides that space.
But you need to be able to receive. And so many of us are so focused on giving that our receiving muscles have atrophied.
Sometimes the only thing standing in the way of getting our heart’s desire are the painful stories we tell ourselves.
Leaning into Grace stops that loop from running.
So as you go about your work today when you look at the clock and get that knot in your stomach or tightness in your chest–stop what you’re doing and lean.
Connect to the LOVE that brought you to doing what you do.
Connect to what you are in service to.
And allow the Grace that’s available in every minute to enter the scene.
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ABOUT CATHY WILKE
Cathy Wilke is a business alchemist and marketing coach who helps small business owners and holistic practitioners create marketing that is an authentic expression of who they are by helping them tap into their Fierce Authenticity. Cathy created The Yoga Of Marketing, a business building program for those who love what they do but have no idea how to get their work out into the world. You can find her at: www.freedomandfulfillment.com