Lamisha Serf-Walls

Let’s Talk Money…

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So it seems that money is the topic of discussion these days not only in the news with all this talk of the U.S. budget etc., but also with potential clients.  When asked why they haven’t moved toward the life of their dreams, the limiting factor is often times, you guessed it, money.

money quote
image from www.sayw.com

Whether they are wanting to start their own business, move to another part of the country, or travel the world, many of the roadblocks are the same.  They haven’t yet amassed enough money to do so.  In their minds (and mine at one time), they had the straight and narrow view of how they could (or couldn’t) accomplish their goal.

Let’s say you want to travel the world for a year.  You might think the most realistic way of doing that would be to have to save enough money to pay all of your expenses while you are away.  In order to do that you calculate what you make now, a realistic amount of money you can save, and how much you will need for your year-long expedition.  Understandably so, that calculation could not only be depressing, but it could also take the wind right out of your sails.  You might feel like it will never happen and you simply let it fall by the wayside.

But, what if instead of providing a straight and narrow view of how it is most likely going to come to fruition, you made a list of all the awesome ways it could happen.  Use the what if game I talk about here and allow your imagination to run wild.

For the example above you might come up with a list that looks like this:

  • I could win the lottery and have all the money I need
  • Someone could gift me the money
  • I could win a trip around the world
  • I could get a new job that pays more and travel sooner
  • I could find a midnight hustle to make the extra money
  • I could find a job that would pay me to travel
  • I could sell all my crap and do it
  • I could work with a life coach and she can help me reach my goal

You get the idea.  This exercise is meant to open your eyes to all of the wonderful ways you could get to your dream without following the most logical and realistic idea.  In fact, if I were working with you on this specific example I would show you how you can get clear about your dream, follow your inspiration to take a tiny step forward, and watch as some amazing things fall into place that will lead you to the next inspirational nugget on your journey.  Doesn’t that sound much better than trying to do it the way that feels so hard and so impossible?

When you limit yourself to accomplishing your dream via this one specific channel, you cut yourself off from all other possibilities.  This wonderful world of ours is full of situations, opportunities, contacts, networks, jobs, etc. that can help you get to where you want to be.  You just have to open your mind to the possibilities that are out there and the best way to do that is to tap into your inspiration.  Don’t allow your current job, income, bills, situations etc. limit you in living the life of your dreams.  Open your mind and see what happens.

Is money the thing you are lacking to make your dream come true?

Also, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get more juicy inspiration and updates on upcoming offerings.  I can’t wait to share with you what I am working on.

Lessons Learned: Business Building, Worry, and Meditation

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Each time I write one of these posts, I am more amazed at the evolution that is taking place in my personally and in my life.  I am an avid reader and student of life, so I have always wanted to analyze situations and dig a little deeper to find the lessons in most situations, but somehow articulating them here on my blog helps me to focus on them even more.  I hope you find value in them as well.

With that said let’s get to the lessons shall we?

Lesson:  Like building anything, building a business happens in layers and sometimes piece-by-piece.

When I envisioned my coaching business, I saw a booming business with an abundance of one-on-one clients, workshops, seminars, workbooks, books, retreats, etc.  What I did not see was all the behind the coaching stuff.  I didn’t know what I didn’t know and am quickly learning that building a business takes time and it comes in layers.  Much like bricklayers lay each brick on top of the last, I am building my business.  I learned this week that not only is it ok for it to be this way, it’s normal.  Just as I am evolving and changing, my business will do the same and as long as I add to it layer-by-layer, I can enjoy the process as it unfolds.  Enjoying the journey is the most important part!

Lesson:  Worry is worthless. worry

Wow, if I had a nickel for every time I have reminded myself of this fact, I would be rich.  This week in the middle of being blessed with an abundance of writing projects in addition to my day job and my business building, I had a little bit of worry about how I could get it all done.  My mind ran wild as I calculated the number of hours it would take to get everything done.  I was even trying to ration the time so each project got a portion of my time to get it all done.  I quickly learned that the time I spent worrying could be better spent doing something else.  Once I let go of the “how”, I got busy and did what I could with the time I had.  While I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to, I made progress and I wasn’t nearly as stressed.  I count that as a win.  If you are worrying about anything right now, just let it go because it really is worthless.

Lesson: Meditation is my medicine.

Since I have begun a more regular meditation practice (at least 5 days a week) the results have been amazing.  I have been far more calm, less stressed, more focused, and generally more balanced in my thinking/being.  In the last two weeks (especially this week) I have allowed my many responsibilities take precedent over my meditation practice.  While I could feel the stress and frustrations beginning to return, I kept trying to convince myself that I just didn’t have the time.  The Universe decided to prove to me I did have the time.

meditateYesterday after dropping my son off at daycare, I decided to treat myself to a cup of coffee and pay for the person behind me as a nice start to the day.  Upon returning home, I was on my way out the door to take the dogs for a little walk and all I could think of was how little time I had in the morning to tackle my to-do list.  Walking out the door and locking it behind me, I realized what I thought were keys in my pocket were not.  Luckily it was my phone and I was able to call my partner so she could come let me back in.  So what do you do when it’s 7am and you are locked out of the house?  I guess you could do many things, but I decided to watch the sunrise and spend some time meditating outdoors.  I then took myself and the dogs for a stroll around the neighborhood.

When I was able to get back inside, I felt calmer, more peaceful, and ready to tackle the day.  Now I know that meditation is my medicine or more like a vitamin nourishing my soul and protecting me from becoming unbalanced.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and find some time to get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful colors and weather where you are.  And if you have never meditated, try it out and see if you feel some of the same centering effects I do.

Thanks for reading!

Imagine This…

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I have always enjoyed daydreaming and envisioning the life I want to have.  Sometimes I envision the perfect vacation or the ideal job.  Sometimes it’s the ideal day or situation I am dealing with at the moment.  What is interesting is while I am thinking about the best case scenario it is really an expected outcome I am aiming for.  Aren’t we all?

But, what if instead of aiming for the end result, we instead imagined an inspired, happy, and good feeling journey to whatever it is we are looking for?journey2

Take your ultimate dream job for instance.  If you are finding yourself constantly taking score of the fact that you aren’t at your ideal job and you are working really hard to get there, you are probably going to be somewhat frustrated and over time just miserable.  But, if while you imagine your ideal job you take note of the opportunities, situations, people, and other great things that come your way as you move along your journey, you are likely to be much happier and more fulfilled.

What a concept!

To enjoy the journey of life and the inspired actions that lead you to your ultimate dream is really the ideal life right?  If you can not only enjoy the end result of whatever you want to achieve, but also enjoy the journey to that thing, you have it all figured out!

That is what is a little different about how I work.  I don’t just help clients work really hard to get to where they are going.  I help them follow their joy to whatever they are wanting.  There is a difference.

What is pretty amazing about this process is that the more you follow what feels right for you, the more progress you make.  Sound a little “woo-woo”?  Let me give you an example.

Say you want to quit your job and become a full-time world travel writer.  You have no idea how to do it, but your logical mind says you must first save enough money to travel the world and still pay your bills while you meander your way around the world.  You decide to work with me and learn how to let your logical thought process fall away for a moment and instead embrace the idea of following your inspiration.

followheart

You decide to take the first step toward your goal and ask a friend (who is also a writer) what they know about the topic.  While you are discussing your big dream with them over coffee, you see a flyer for a writing class that peaks your interest.  Since you are following your intuition and inspiration, you go to the class to brush up on your writing skills.  In the class you meet several other writers who have big dreams too.  Some want to write fiction, others non-fiction, and to your surprise you find out the teacher has experience writing travel guides for a well-known publisher.  Wanting to get some writing gigs under your belt you speak with your instructor to find out more about that type of work.  You take away some really great info from speaking with your instructor and decide to do a bit of research on your own.  In doing so you find some other writing gigs that really interest you and while they aren’t directly related to travel, you apply.  Fast forward a few months and you have not only managed to lay the foundation to your new writing career, but you have an amazing opportunity to travel outside the country to work alongside another travel writer(incidentally your writing teacher) to help do research on a new travel guide.  Not only that, but you are getting most of your expenses paid and a small stipend during the project.  You are on your way to quitting your job and becoming the next world travel writer and enjoying every single step along the way.

To some this story may seem unrealistic and unbelievable, and I understand, but I promise you if you allow yourself to think beyond just the end result and follow your inspiration along the way, magical things happen.  It is as if the universe is responding to every little step you make and providing another wonderful experience to help you on your journey.

I can see you thinking about your ultimate dream and wondering if this could happen for you and it certainly can.  You have the ability to following the inspirational nuggets along your journey to your ultimate dream.  It doesn’t have to be logical, realistic, and hard.  It can be easy, fun, and fluid.

journey

I know some of you have been thinking about your dreams more and more every day and each day your passion and excitement is building.  Don’t let your current reality be the thing that stops you from taking the leap.  Maybe you have been thinking of working with me and haven’t taken that step.  Do it now!  Contact me for a free 30 minute session to chat about your dreams.  And remember I am still offering my ‘pay what you can’ special for 2 sessions so you don’t want to miss this! 

Living My Dream

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Wow what a difference a year makes!  Today is officially the one year anniversary for my blog.  It started as a past-time to keep me inspired and engaged while I waited for the pieces to fall into place for my ultimate dream career.  When I began I didn’t think that a year in I would have launched my business and be on my way to helping others follow their hearts to do the same.  It’s been a pretty amazing journey and looking back I can see how creating this blog was the single step that built the momentum for the rest of it to fall into place.

realityWhen I began, I had this preconceived notion of how my dream would take shape.  In my mind the path was logical, realistic, but boy did it feel hard.  I thought that was how it was supposed to be.  You always hear people talking about working hard, never giving up, and making sacrifices to live the life of their dreams, so I thought sure enough I was on the right path.  The only problem was that the more I wrote, the more my desire grew.  I wanted to feel like I was making progress, right now.  I couldn’t figure out how to reconcile my passion with the idea that I had to save a large sum of money, invest 6 months of my time to do something that I have always been doing.  Wasn’t the realistic way the only way?  In April, I realized the realistic way is only one way to make something happen.

It was then that I took a leap of faith.  By simply declaring (to myself) that I was going to create my own coaching model utilizing my experience, Masters in Psychology, and the many tools I have learned along the way, I took the seemingly small step that helped me create what I have today.  Did I know everything at that moment? Of course not.  But I set the intention and the flood gates of ideas opened and the pieces fell into place.  Before I knew it I had created my coaching model and began working with two guinea pig clients who have made some incredible progress!

Am I still learning?  Yes and boy am I learning a lot!  I am learning the ins and outs of business.  I am learning how to better serve my clients and how to grow into this new dream that I held so close to my heart for over a decade.

So what held me back all these years?  I was bound by reality.  Like the caged bird who knows only how to live, breathe, and survive behind bars, I allowed myself to be contained in the logical world.  I thought everyone worked a job they hated just to make ends meet and that only the lucky/rich/free people were able to do the things they wanted to simply because they loved it.  For many years my actions were driven by the need to fulfill my responsibilities in life.  Bills, work, and taking care of my family were all reasons I succumbed to the idea that I couldn’t live with my head in the clouds any longer.

I was wrong.  dream life

Today, one year into this blogging journey and only a few months into my business, I am excited for what the future holds.  I am eager to help clients break free from their perceived limitations in time, money, space, etc. so they too can feel the freedom of living a life of passion while still taking care of all the other stuff too!  You can have it all!  The time, the joy, the family, the money, the career that sets your soul on fire…all of it!  All it takes is one little step forward to get the momentum going.  And I can tell you from where I stand in my own journey, it is an incredible feeling to be living my dream and while I am still growing, evolving, and learning, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Don’t wait another minute to live the life you were meant to live, to use the gifts you have to give to the world, and to do what makes you happy.  Life is too short to put your happiness off for another moment.

I would be honored to help you move along your journey to living the life you once dreamt.  Interested in working with me and taking advantage of the incredible pay what you can deal from yesterday?  Send me an email at lamisha@lifeoncedreamt.com or contact me here to get a free 30 minute coaching session to get started.  I promise you won’t be sorry you did.