Lamisha Serf-Walls

Letter To My Future Self 2013

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I have a confession to make.  I had the best intentions to get this letter completed in the first or second week of the year, but time got away from me.  Life happened both at work and at home and things just got plain busy, however I made a commitment to myself (and to you) that I would write this letter and so I have chosen to share (and write) it here.  There is a part of me that believes it wasn’t pure lack of planning and busyness that caused me to wait, but maybe a deeper knowing in what I wanted to say in the letter had to brew awhile before it was ready.  Well, ready or not, here it is…

Dear Lamisha,

When I look at the woman standing before me I am amazed.  Not only in the confidence you exude, but also the pure peace that emanates from your being.  The woman I knew in 2012 is long gone and a newer, more peaceful and centered woman stands before me, transformed.  I wish I could tell you that this transformation happened overnight, but you know better than that.  This transformation has taken place in much the same way all changes take place.  Step-by-step.  But it all started with your theme of the year.  Do you remember?  To simply be open.  To some it is vague, but for you it was a true lesson and the starting point of this transformation.

You see, by your willingness to be open to what life, the Universe, God, etc. has to offer and letting go of your control where you needed to, you welcomed in a trust you have never known before.  A trust that all is happening in the right time, for the right reasons, and this journey you are on is a wonderful adventure when you are open.  And it can be fun too!

Do you remember what your letter looked like for 2012?  Of course you do, it was cluttered with income amounts, possessions you wanted to have, and specific expectations that the old you wanted too much to control and yet very little on that list came to be and why is that?  Could it be you didn’t let go of the wheel enough to allow things to happen in their own time?  Possibly, or more likely it was all part of your path to get you here.  To the state of peace in allowing life to flow.

Please don’t think that ‘peace’ is your only accomplishment for this year, though it is your greatest, there are many other very exciting opportunities, situations, and adventures that you were open to.  Sure your blog following has grown, your book idea is no longer just an idea, your midnight hustle has developed into a more substantial income, and your life coach dream is taking flight, but even if all of that hadn’t happened and peace is all that was gained this year…it would be enough.  Because within peace lies the space to allow the magic of your dreams to come true.  And though I want to share with you every teeny, tiny, delightful morsel of your best year yet, and to warn you of some potential challenges, I will leave it to you to explore and enjoy.  Just know that as you move, evolve, and grow this year, you are transforming step-by-step into the peacefully grounded woman standing before me.

Enjoy the ride!

From My Heart

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The post below is something I felt the need to write/share with my FB page earlier today and while some of my recent posts have moved away from my dream journey, creating a better world is truly one of my dreams and so I am sharing it here.

Let me introduce myself in a way that many of you may not know me…

I am a woman, a partner, a lesbian, a mother, a tree-huggin’, animal lovin’, save the planet, peace-maker.  I believe in love, life, and the pursuit of happiness just as much as the next guy.  I believe in equal rights for all, a safe place to raise my children, and leaving a better world than the one I was born into.  I am an Earth savin’, peace-speaking writer, with a heart of gold, who believes in helping others in whatever capacity I can.  I am spiritual and believe that God/the Universe/Spirit or whatever you choose to call this force, did not create us to watch us falter and fail.  I believe that we, as a human race have leaps and bounds to grow and I believe IN us.  I know that we can make this world better, but it isn’t going to be the government or the laws that make us kinder, wiser, more humble with one another.  It isn’t the government that is going to clean up our Earth and make the world a better place.  Sure they are one piece of this extravagant puzzle, but you and I are the tools to create positive change.

I believe in the chain reaction of love and kindness.  Passing from one person to the next until it affects every beautiful human being on this planet.  Pay it forward and back, help each other, uplift instead of speaking down, use your words instead of your fists or worse any other weapons.  Speak kindly to one another, lend a helping hand, believe in your dreams, and help others achieve theirs.  Celebrate our uniqueness, but understand that on the deepest level, we are all the same.  Human beings looking for love, happiness, and peace.

It is no mistake we are here together dealing with some trying and difficult times.  It is no coincidence that there are so many groups it the world working in whatever way they know how to create change.  This is not about a specific agenda or politics.  We are in one of the most incredible times in history and it is up to us to make a difference for generations to come.  So, I ask you to stop the bickering and fighting about who can carry what weapon and stand together against the violence that pervades our world regardless of the form it takes.  Stand together in love and acceptance in one another and give a kind word or smile to those you see struggling.

We will not make a change in hate, we will not make this world a better place by fighting each other tooth and nail and spreading negativity like wild fire to get your point across.  We are given this life for a reason, and I certainly don’t believe that reason was to instill hate in our hearts or the hearts of our children.  Our children are watching our every move, hearing our every word, and absorbing the energy they see in us.  Be a leader in love and in peace.  Teach kindness and understanding over hate and separation.  It is through our teachings of positivity and peace together that this world will be better and I promise that change will not take place by complaining about the politics, control, and financial strife our world seems to be in right now.  However, it will come through you and how you choose to embody this incredible gift of life.

I want to see children growing up in an ever increasing peaceful world.  You may think I see our future through rose-colored glasses and maybe you are right.  But I would rather believe in our ability to create positive change in this world, than believe in the hopelessness of continuing living in our world the way we have been.  I am not willing to give in to the belief that “this is all there is”.  Living is not about surviving, it is about thriving.

The bottom line is this…we can’t keep trying to solve problems with the same energy and consciousness that created them.  We have to step out of that box and try something new…

May this be food for thought that creates inspired action in those of you who read this.

Thank you for reading,
Lamisha

P.S.  Please know this is not something directed at any one person or post.  It is simply something I felt the need to share and express.

 

I Am Listening…

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This week has been one of those weeks, yet again.  It seems like time is speeding up and the number of things that must get done are adding up too and while I could very well freak out about what isn’t getting done, or get anxious about the long list, I am not.  Thanks to my meditation practice, I am staying pretty balanced in my mood and doing what I can each day.  With that said, I am human and I still recognize there is much to be done this week, but right now, I am simply listening.

I am listening to my body, my mind, and my inner voice and letting it guide me through my days.  My body is saying “rest” and I am sure it means I need more sleep.  And though I know I could stay up to get through the last few chapters of a book I am reading so I can get some writing done for it, I will not.  I will listen, and sleep.  My mind is telling me to step back, slow down, and breathe.  So I am.  I have taken far more deep breaths today than I can remember in the last week, simply to focus and center myself.  I am listening.

My inner voice seems to have a lot to say about all the “busyness” that is going on this week.  “Let it go. ”  “It’s not worth it.” “It can wait.”  This voice is gently guiding me to do what is best for me right now and to take care of myself and I am listening.  My inner voice is also providing an unlimited number of creative ideas that I truly can’t wait to begin.  When will that be? I am not sure, but one thing I know is that as long as I am listening and following the little nudges here and there, it will all come together in the right time and space for me.  Until then, I am listening.

What do you need to listen to right now?

Following The Signs To Clarity

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I have talked a little bit about synchronicities and following the signposts of life as you venture down your given path. I have often found these signs in books, quotes, a newsletter, or sometimes even songs where a specific topic or set of words just jump out at me and make me think “Aha!”. Well today was one of those days and boy did I have some things jumping out at me.

Over the last few weeks I have been having an internal struggle about what I believe my truth to be. By truth I mean, where I am going, what I am doing, and how my spirituality and belief system is made up (both about myself and the world/society as a whole). I haven’t ever questioned my truth or my spirituality, and don’t particularly find myself questioning it now, but rather wondering how my truth fits into what others believe etc. In the midst of the fog and somewhat confusion I was feeling, I could hear my internal dialogue asking for clarity. I wasn’t looking for it in any given form, nor did I expect it to come about the way it did, but what I found was a series of synchronicities that kept coming about throughout the day. It was as if the Universe/God/Powers that be, was giving me the clarity I was seeking. Simply put, it was amazing.

I’d like to tell you what it was that set these moments of clarity in motion, but I don’t have a formula. I started my day feeling a bit uneasy and since I am committed to my 100 day meditation challenge, I thought what better way to handle such feelings than to be still and quiet my thoughts. Afterwards, I felt a little better, but couldn’t shake this feeling that left me off balance. So instead of trying to push it away, I sat with it. Moving through my morning the way I would normally and allowing the feelings, uneasiness, and day to progress as it should. That is when I stumbled upon a post from one of my favorite blogs the Journey Through The Chrysalis. I found her words lighten my mood and bring a bit of clarity to what I was feeling. I began to feel better and as I did the signs just kept coming.

Almost immediately after reading that post, I saw a status update on FB and an article posted almost simultaneously, providing even more clarity to my particular situation. And it didn’t stop there. Over the course of the day, I had read, heard, and seen several other articles, videos, and blog posts that were either dealing with this particular issue, or reminding me to be open, something I had forgotten over the last few days. Once I reminded myself of my theme for the year, I relaxed. The uneasiness subsided, the chaotic thoughts in my mind calmed down, and I was still. It was then that I allowed myself to let go of this picture I had painted in my mind as a struggle and looked at it from a different view. It is no longer a struggle, it is simply a way for me to grow, both in my own spirituality, but also in how I deal with everything I see as a struggle.

What looks like a struggle from one view, can be very different when you step out of it for a moment and be still, something I was reminded of in my own meditation as well as from Candy Coated Reality (this post is great). Sometimes you even have to get quiet and just listen and if you don’t hear something right away, give it some time and be open to whatever comes your way, you never know where your guidance may show up.

Do The (Midnight) Hustle

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Over the last few years I have come in contact with a handful of innovators looking to start (or recently started) their own businesses in various ways.  Some people were following their creative hearts, while others were simply looking for a way to be their own boss and spend more time with their families, but regardless of what these people were doing, one thing was common amongst them, the midnight hustle.

If you don’t know what that is let me explain.  The midnight hustle is the way many new business owners, creators, and innovators make their business dreams a reality.  Let’s face it, not many of us have the riches to simply quit our day jobs to follow our dreams without cultivating and growing our business on the side and by “on the side”, it likely means during the midnight hours when other people are sleeping, hence the name midnight hustle.  And with that midnight hustling often comes late nights, less sleep, hard work, and hopefully amazing inspiration to keep you moving toward your dreams so you can one day quit your day job and enjoy the fruits of your labor doing something that you truly enjoy.  And while I am far from quitting my day job, I am experiencing a bit of my own hustle as I reach beyond my comfort zone into new opportunities and new territory.  It’s exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

I have talked a little bit about my dream of starting my own life coaching business, but the truth is my dream isn’t to start the business per se, it is really to help people through my business.  I thought the path would be fairly straight forward, but I am finding that I may be taking a bit more of the scenic route as opposed to the straight shot as I go with the flow of life.  The programs I have found in the last year haven’t really touched me in the way that makes me think, “Yes this is the ONE!”, so I have been researching various programs in hopes to find the one that best fits my purpose and calling.  I think I have finally found it.  (YAY!) But, with it comes a pretty hefty price tag, one that is about double the price of the last program I was going to settle on.  So, it looks like the actual training may be put off longer than expected, but as you well know I am not one to sit around and do nothing and being the jack of many trades that I am, I am following an equally creative and exciting interest, writing.

The truth is I have always enjoyed writing but I have just recently begun to make some money from it and it is becoming a bit of a midnight hustle for me.  While I only have one regular gig right now, I am learning that the key to having one or many midnight hustles is balance and knowing your limit, both things I am working on right now.  I am very aware of the amount of time I have in my days (and nights) to complete writing projects and am working on a bit of a writing schedule that will allow me to continue to share my journey here on my blog (because I love it so much), and to still complete writing projects in a timely manner.  My hope is that my current midnight hustle will help support the training I need for life coaching and things will seamlessly flow with one another leading to (one day) quitting my day job to do something I love.  But, until that day comes I am going to consciously balance my time to include self-care, meditation, and family because life shouldn’t be all about work, it should be fun too.

Do you have a midnight hustle? If so what is it?