Lamisha Serf-Walls

Your Gift, Your Dream, Your Path

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If I have learned anything in the last few years, it is that we all have gifts to give to the world and if we are lucky enough to realize them, we have the opportunity to make them into our dreams.  With that dream comes a path that will teach us amazing lessons along the way.

The person you were when you first realized your gift is not the same person you will be when you apply it to your dreams.

You will change.The Bamboo Forest and some great Twitter Lists to follow

Your path might too.

And as much change, lessons, amazing insights, and growth you go through, at the core you will be the same.

At your core, in your heart, and in the midst of your creative soul, you will be the same.

That passion and love you are sending out into the world has always been with you on some level.  It may have started as just a tiny seedling of interest, inspiration, and hope that eventually developed some roots of importance and passion.  Through storms of confusion and frustrating questions of “how” things would turn out, you have held true to your path, your calling, and your gift.

The path to creating the life of your dreams is yours and as you travel it you get to decipher what lines up with your vision and what does not.  And every “mistake”, “mis-step”, and “failure” is really an opportunity to learn and grow.

So take the first step on your path with positive expectation and open arms for all that you are going to discover about yourself and the world around you, for nothing will provide a more amazing journey than you setting out to make your dreams become reality.

One step is all it takes to get you to the next.  Why not start now?
photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

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

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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?  

This is What I Know…

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I don’t know it all and can’t seem to learn enough, but here are a few things I know about you, me, and the dreams we want to achieve…

  • Everything and I mean EVERYTHING you want to achieve begins with a thought so allow yourself the time and space to daydream, visualize, and use your imagination to craft the most amazing scenarios of what your life can be. That is where the creative process begins, with a simple thought.
  • There is no dream that is too big to achieve.  Seriously, if you would’ve told me 10 years ago that I would eventually start my own business and be working with clients, I would’ve laughed at you.  At that point in my life the dream was too big to even consider, but I now know whatever you want to do, you can. Period.
  • You have a gift and it is meant to be used, given, shared, and highlighted in this life.  Use it, gift it, apply it, but whatever you do, don’t waste it.  Life is too precious to leave your song unsung, your book unwritten, or your dreams undone.  Stop questioning if you are good enough, special enough, or gifted enough to do it.  You absolutely are!
  • You are meant to do great things, thrive, and enjoy life.  It’s what life is all about.  So, stop questioning your worth, let go of the stories you keep telling yourself about why or how or when you will be able to do XYZ and just do it!
  • No matter where you are in your life, there will always be another excuse to wait.  There is no “perfect” time to do anything.  The best time is to start today.
  • Simple steps turn into big hits of inspiration that open doors of opportunities you never knew were possible.  Even the most miniscule act can create enough momentum to provide more progress than you know.
  • Your intuition is your guidance and when you are tapped into it, it will guide you along your path almost effortlessly.  The formula? Do what feels good and right and perfect…for YOU.
  • You don’t have to know the “how”, the “when” or the “why” right now.  Just trust that you will know the steps to take when the time is right and I promise you will be amazed at the resources, time, money, and contacts that arrive exactly when you need them.
  • Magic is real and so is your dream.  Believe in it, trust in it, and have faith that it is coming together even when you can’t see the physical signs.
  • You are supported always, 100% of the time.  There are people, friends, coaches, mentors, and others that will form your tribe to encourage and uplift you when you need it.
  • Taking a leap of faith allows the net to appear for you.  It is amazing what positive expectations can do.  It is true for me and it is true for you.  Try it. Trust it. Do it.
  • Have fun!  If I have learned nothing else on this journey it is to have fun and let loose.  Being playful opens you to receive an abundance of inspiration, opportunities, and energy to accomplish your dreams.  So don’t waste your days sitting in an office trying to make something happen.  Give yourself some doodle space. 🙂

What have you learned about yourself and your dreams this year?  Are you interested in learning more about what coaching is and how it can help you achieve your dreams?  I am offering free 60-minute sessions to any and all new clients to work on any issue, challenge, dream, goal, etc. in December and January and the slots are filling up fast.  If you are interested, contact me here to schedule your session.  I promise you won’t be sorry you did!

Accessing The Expert Within

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If I have learned anything this past year, or more accurately in the past month or so, it is the importance of listening to your intuition and making decisions that are right for you.  I have far too often fallen into the trap of wanting to always make the right decision whether it is in my business, family life, or other more mundane tasks like buying the right products.

You see, something you may not know about me is that I was very much a Ms. Goodie Two Shoes when I was younger.  Growing up I would beam with confidence when I received my gold stars for a job well done.  If the teacher was looking for a volunteer, I had my hand raised faster than she could blink.  I aimed to please and I wanted nothing more than to receive an abundance of accolades from the people I looked up to.  It doesn’t sound all that bad right?  I mean after all, I was on honor roll more often than not and I did very well in school.  But the downside to it all is that my delicate confidence depended on what other people thought of me and my decisions.  (Imagine the turmoil that ensued when my mother found out I was not her straight-laced-heterosexual daughter, but instead I was her seemingly-straight-laced-gay daughter….(gasp!))

While I have managed to step out of my comfort zone and do things the non-traditional (sometimes very non-traditional) way, I realized about a month ago that I still had this habit of seeking advice, knowledge, and insight about what I should do because I wanted to do what was right.  I didn’t want to make a mistake.  I wanted to select the perfect logo, find the perfect business name, and set up the perfect website that would draw in clients from every corner of the world.

I wanted everything to be perfect and I wanted everyone to like my new business (and me).

But the problem was that every comment, opinion, thought, and insight created a battle inside me, a battle between my gut/intuition and the oh-so-wise thoughts of someone else.  It was a battle that left me feeling more confused than ever and it wasn’t until I received a series of particularly hurtful comments that I finally realized what the struggle was about.

The struggle inside myself was a struggle against my inner knowing….the expert within.  You see, when you set out to fulfill your life’s calling there is a feeling you get that doesn’t go away.  It’s the feeling you feel when you first figure out what you want to do and the same feeling that keeps you moving forward when things get tough.  It’s the voice that tells you that it’s going to be alright and you will have all the things you need to make it happen.  It’s the resonance you feel when you meet people on your path who are exactly who you needed to meet to move to the next step.

That feeling, that voice, that resonance…is YOU.  medium_10770581383

Over the years, I have tried to live in a way that pleased those I deemed “experts” in life and when I set out on my journey to create a new business, I started moving down a similar path until my inner expert reminded me that I will find my way and know what direction to go because it will simply feel right for me.  It may not be right for everyone and it certainly won’t be the same path someone else took to get there, but it is mine and my inner expert will guide me to where I need to be, and yours will too.

You don’t need someone to map out your plan for you.  You have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom within you that will guide you along the way and you will know you are on your right path because it will feel right…for you.

You may be asking yourself if we all have inner experts then why in the world would we hire a life coach or anyone else to help us???

The truth is sometimes your inner expert will guide you to a life coach or someone else to help you on your path because it’s what you need.  As a coach I never tell my clients what they should or shouldn’t do.  Instead, we discuss the challenges, concerns, and struggles that may be holding them back from moving forward and when they are ready to make a decision, I help them tap into their own inner expert so they know what is right for them.  I also hold them accountable along their journey so that pesky thing we know as fear doesn’t get in the way of their incredible potential.

Whatever decisions you have to make as this year comes to an end don’t question whether it is the right or wrong decision based on someone else’s opinion instead, tap into the expert within and know that he/she will not lead you astray.

You are wiser than you believe yourself to be!

photo credit: symphony of love via photopin cc

From “Meant To Be” to “Maybe Not”

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I had a realization today and it is one that I have been struggling with for a while now.  You see, when I found out I only had 3 months left of my full-time job, I took it as a sign from the Universe that my coaching business was ready to take off.  I thought I was going to have some amazing space and time to create, write, and build an ever-growing business that would sustain me.  I had stars in my eyes, a heart full of hope, and no one could tell me otherwise.

from www.liketoquote.com
from www.liketoquote.com

I absolutely believed that this was happening and that the reason my job was ending was so I could move into my purpose more fully.  But then, after 2 months passed and business didn’t explode I began questioning things.  I hadn’t even thought of getting another full-time gig.  I thought it was working out perfectly and that it was meant to be for me to work from home, building, creating, and expanding my ever-growing business.

But, that’s not how it has happened thus far.  To be honest with you, my month of giving has really become my month of offering what I believe to be a great deal, but with no takers.

Bummer.Big Bummer.

Not only did I not want to entertain the idea of taking a full-time gig (because hello why else would I be losing my job just as I was starting my own business-terrible logic), but I was also dealing with a dwindling dream.  I had gotten excited about something that I thought was meant to be, even though it might not work out that way.  The funny thing is had you asked me a month before I found out my full-time job would be ending when I planned on taking my new coaching business full-time, I would have most certainly told you that I wouldn’t consider it until I had built a solid foundation.  And yet after I found out about position being eliminated, I thought it was a sign just to jump!  Funny how we see things so differently in varying circumstances huh?

So, what’s my point?

My point is that things happen for a reason and while we might think we know what that reason is while it is happening, we may not ever really know until the dust settles later.  So instead of wishing, hoping, and standing on the belief that we always know why things work out the way they do, why not stand in a place of faith.  Faith that things are working out exactly how they should without placing constraints on the situation trying to make it fit into a logical stream of thinking.  If I know anything about my journey to coaching, I know that the path isn’t always logical and it is very rarely linear.  My path has been more about following the inspirational nuggets along the way.  Being inspired to do one thing that leads to another etc.  That is how things have worked out for me and many of my clients and I know that is how it will continue to work out.

In this case that means not discounting another full-time gig or feeling badly about services and offers that go no where.  Not only am I allowing myself to be open to what comes, but I am also following my own coaching advice and going where my inspiration takes me.  I am readjusting my focus and seeing the bigger picture.  I may not know what is next for me, but I am sure that it is going to be great.

In the mean time I am going to continue working on my business ideas, tweaking my website, and creating content that is inspiring, useful, and uplifting for you lovely readers.  I am also going to continue to build a solid foundation for my business.  I am learning, growing, and evolving every day as a business woman and that will never stop.  So as I work on my services, offerings etc. my focus is on providing the best services I can for my clients.  It also means being open to where, how, and how my next clients will be and trusting the process.

As for the job front, I’m not sure what will happen.  I am following my inspiration and going where it leads me, if that means I end up in another full-time job, so be it.

As one of my dear friends has reminded me over and over again…I am letting it flow, letting it flow, letting it flow. 🙂