Lamisha Serf-Walls

Bold Declarations to the Universe & Potential Aftermath

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As you know last week I made some pretty bold declarations about not having a Plan B.  Well, as I am quickly finding, when you make big, bold declarations to the Universe, there can be a bit of an aftermath effect that comes.  It’s a recent theme I am seeing not only with myself, but with my clients as well.  Click the link below to find out what I am talking about and let me know, have you experienced something similar?  If so, how did you handle it?

 

P.S.

If you made a recent declaration to get your business into brilliant shape in a heart-centered way, then I encourage you to check out the 90 Days to Biz Brilliance group coaching program.  This is an opportunity to connect, share, and grow your business with other heart-centered women who know what it’s like to be where you are.  There is also still time to get signed up for the bonus self-study program Invest in Yourself before it is available for purchase.  Are you ready?

Recent Lessons & Major Breakthroughs

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Let your light shine!
Let your light shine!

Being a coach, I am not exempt from life lessons and major breakthroughs that I help my clients through and this past week has been a pretty big week for me.  Not only am I stepping more into who I really am as a business owner and coach, but also who I am as a wife, a mother, and all the other shoes I fill.  It’s both liberating and sometimes downright scary to look at all the things I am doing in my life and where I want to be.  I stand in awe as I look how far I have come and am amazed at the progress while still looking ahead to everything that I want to do.

I wanted to take a moment to share with you my recent life lessons and ‘aha’ moments that have come from my conversations with clients and my dear spiritual soul sisters who have shared their amazing gifts with me.  I hope that by reading this you are able to identify with some (if not all) of the lessons and feel your own transformation and healing begin to take place.

  • Have Fun: This is such a good reminder not just for me but for any of you wonderful business-minded souls who are working, striving, and making moves in the business world.  We are too often caught in the building phase of our empire that we forget what it’s like to truly LIVE and have FUN!  In fact, I was given the assignment to do something fun every single day and I had a hard time thinking of what I would do!  How silly is that?!  Fun is a huge piece of the happy life puzzle and it is what opens us to the magic that is in the world.  So, I ask you: What have you done for fun lately?

 

  • Recognize and Celebrate Your Own Brilliance: As a coach, I am able to immediately see the light and brilliance that my clients have.  I see it, connect with it, and reflect it back to them in ways that they can see and feel it.  It can be far more difficult for me to stand back and view myself in that same way which at times results in doubt, frustration, and dare I say fear? A wonderfully talented soul sister of mine reminded me that I don’t have to compare my talents and gifts with any one else nor do I have to place anyone on a pedestal while viewing myself as ‘below’ them on the totem pole of power and authority.  When we are stepping onto our true path, it can be far too easy to compare ourselves with those around us.  We take note of their success and all that they have conquered while tallying up our ‘successes’ that never seem to amount to much. But when we can step back from our ego and view our life, our accomplishments, and our gifts through fresh eyes, we see that comparison is not necessary.  We are all brilliant in our own way and simply knowing that is the first step to truly seeing it.  I want you to know that you are brilliant as well!  Whether you are an artist, coach, healer, yoga instructor, or you are an amazing parent, partner, animal-lover etc.  YOU are brilliant and have a light and many amazing gifts that the world needs.  See it! Embrace it! Celebrate it! 🙂

 

  • Take Risks: This one is a HUGE message I have been getting in the last few weeks but I only recognized it last week.  Most of my life I have had this internal fight inside of myself.  Logic vs Dreams, Stability vs Freedom, Comfort vs Adventure.  I haven’t ever really been the risk-taker in life and have spent much of my life taking calculated risks while worrying about the best decision to make to keep things ‘stable’.  Since I started my business I have been playing it safe too which translates to playing small.  I have put my toe in the water of uncertainty and slowly eased in when what my heart really wants to do (and what my soul is aching to do) is dive in clothes and all!  I have been in my own way and while it may not seem like that on the outside, there are many ways it is manifesting in my life.  Procrastination, timidness, fear, and more uncertainty.  But here is the flip side of all that.  I KNOW that in order for me to be wildly successful and do all the work I am truly meant to do, I must stop with the fear, stop with the calculated risks and listen to my heart again.  The same heart that told me to leap into my business.  The same heart that said, I don’t know how but I will figure it out.  The same heart that at one point told me to move over 300 miles away from my home, my friends, and my family for love.  THAT is the heart I am listening to.  So risks I shall take and I encourage you to do the same.  So what if you don’t have all your ducks in a row, some ducks may show up to the party fashionably late, but that doesn’t stop the party.  Jump! Leap! Dive in and watch what happens to your life!

 

  • Ask For Help: I don’t know if this is because I am the oldest child or if I have developed a sense of ‘I can do it all myself’ syndrome, but somewhere along the way I decided I didn’t need help.  Not only that, but even if I did, I wouldn’t ask for it. And I am not exactly talking about asking my fellow neighbors and friends for help, I’m talking asking the Universe and the Divine for assistance.  I am a firm believer that part of what makes our amazing lives so great is the amount of support we receive from other realms.  Call it Heaven, God, Goddess, Angels, the Universe, or whatever it is you believe in, but I know that we are not meant to travel along our paths alone and yet there are times I don’t ask for help. So, I am getting back to my daily connection with Spirit (both mine and the Universal Spirit of all things) through meditation and prayer to bring that wonderfully supportive energy back into my life and business.  We don’t have to do everything on our own, nor do we have to know how, who, what, when, and all the extra details that go with it.  We can simply ask and be open to receive the answer.  It’s that simple! So, what could you use a little help with that you have been doing all on your own?  Ask, and you shall receive!

I hope that my recent breakthroughs and life lessons resonate with you and open your eyes to your very own blissful breakthroughs.  The more I grow, learn, and evolve, the more I realize life is a series of lessons that further uncover our greatness, beauty, and purpose.

May you have a bit of fun, recognize your own brilliance and light, take a few risks, dream big, and ask for help from the amazing and always loving Universe today and always.  Things are changing and life is too good to stay in one place and play small.  Reach beyond your comfort zone daily and expand into every corner of your greatness and watch as your life transforms into the most amazing ride you never thought possible.

Sending you lots of love,

Lamisha

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?  

I Got The Message, “Let Go and It Will Grow”

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In light of being completely and 100% authentic with you lovely readers I wanted to share something that happened a few weeks ago.  It is something that I have only shared with 2 people for fear others might think I’m crazy and while the “crazy” part is likely true,  I think it’s an important message to share with you.

A few weeks ago I was dealing with some major fear, anxiety, and frustration around what was or wasn’t happening in my business.  I created my business Facebook page, I set up a pay what you can offer and created my mailing list sign-up and they were going nowhere.  Add to that the anxiety of what may or may not be coming next for me job-wise and you can imagine I was a mess.  Even as a life coach, I still find myself fighting back the doubt sometimes.

So there I was, trying desperately through anxious-action to make things happen.  (When will I ever learn??) I was researching, reading, writing, and trying to come up with a plan.  A solid, no-nonsense, fool-proof plan to bring in the right clients.  I could feel the stress building and my Dream Crusher was coming in loud and clear.

I heard her say, “You have NO idea what you are doing.”, “You don’t know anything about business.”, “You should really just find another job and be done with it.”, “You have a family to help take care of for goodness sake.” “You are a fraud!”

She wasn’t being very nice and while I could have continued to let that voice take over my thoughts and cause me to give up, I didn’t.  Instead I meditated.

I knew I had to quiet the fearful thoughts that were flowing through my mind so I sat down, closed my eyes, and let them go.

My 15 minute meditation felt much longer and much deeper than what I am used to and I was not at all prepared for what happened next.  Just as my thoughts floated away, I saw a beautiful butterfly in my mind’s eye with two fingers holding onto one of the wings.  The other wing was furiously flapping as the butterfly was trying to get away.  In that moment I heard “Let go and it will grow.”

What?!butterfly

I meditate at least 5 times a week, sometimes more and during my morning meditations, I very rarely hear or see anything.  I have heard experiences where some people get great inspiration and insight from their meditations, but I don’t experience it quite as clear.  That is until that moment.

A few days later, after hearing the message 2-3 more times (not in meditation), I really felt the significance.

The fluttering and frantic butterfly was me and the fingers holding one of the butterflies wings was also me.  I was the one holding myself back.  Instead of following my intuition and inspiration and allowing that to lead me to the next thing (the way I coach others), I was trying too hard to make something happen.  I was acting out of fear instead of inspiration.  I allowed the doubt, fear, and frustration to send me into a tizzy that resulted in a lot of needy action.

I wasn’t thinking clearly.

I wasn’t following my own advice.

I wasn’t listening to my intuition.

Until that moment.

The message “Let go and it will grow.” has come back to me time and time again.  When I find myself struggling to find a solution or plan right this moment, I know I am trying too hard.  When I am trying to force things to work a very specific way, I know I have lost my faith.  When I am too focused on what I feel is going wrong instead of seeing what is going right, I have lost my way.  When I am too focused on blog views, new followers, new likes on Facebook, and the lack of clients, I am forgetting what is important.

My intuition tells me that letting go of the outcome and detaching from whatever I believe should be the end result is going to help things along.  When I let go of the butterfly and allow it the freedom to fly, I free up energy that can be used for other things.  I know this to be true because I have seen it happen over and over again in other areas of my life.

With a strong vision, belief in myself, and my work, things will keep moving forward. 

Do you have something you need to be easy about instead of trying so damn hard?  Take a step back for a while and do things you truly enjoy.  You just might be amazed at what happens next.

 

Lessons Learned in Attitude, Faith, and Signs

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I don’t know about you, but this week has offered me many opportunities for growth which also means it has had it’s fair share of challenges…and by fair share I mean A LOT.  However, I would like to think I have taken each one in stride and learned a little along the way.

Lesson: Attitude is everything. Attitude

In the last week my family and I have been in a car accident (everyone is ok thank goodness), I found out the company I work for full-time is eliminating my position in the next 3 months, and our washer died-all of which happened before we were heading out-of-town for a nice relaxing weekend away.  While any one of these occurrences could have sent me into an anxiety-ridden-tizzy, I took each one as it came and tried to focus on the good.  I couldn’t change the fact that we had tons of paperwork to deal with due to the accident, but I could be grateful we were all safe.  I couldn’t beg to stay with my current company, but I am able to be grateful that they gave me 3 months notice.  I can’t fix the washer on my own, but we can figure out a way to make it work.  Did it seem like the Universe was delivering a huge storm of gloom this past week, yes, but in changing my attitude even just a little, I was able to see the bright side.  Did I get there immediately?  No.  After a little bit of shock and some tears I decided the only thing I could change was my attitude and that is just what I did.

Lesson: If you have faith that everything will work out for the best, nothing can stop you.

FaithMoments after I received the news about my full-time job, I broke down into tears.  There was a distinct feeling of “what am I going to do?” coupled with a feeling of overwhelming calm.  It sounds weird I know, but it was almost as if, part of me knew without a shadow of a doubt that this moment was the beginning of something far greater than the job I had.  I gave myself a few minutes to feel the worry for the future and afterwards, I felt the faith and trust in my heart that all would be just fine.  And while I have had moments of “I wonder how, or when, or what…”, my faith is there keeping me moving in the right direction.

Lessons:  If you are open, the Universe will deliver signs that let you know you are on the right track.

I have talked about inspirational nuggets that serve as gentle nudges leading us to the next step in our journey and while I didn’t receive any specific signs of where to turn next, I did receive (what I believe to be) signs that everything is going to be just fine.

Right after hearing the news about my full-time position being eliminated, I had an appointment to go to.  On the way I was talking to a friend about my faith in the process and how I just knew this was opening my world to something far greater than I could imagine.  As I was going on about what may be in my future, I saw a field of probably 100 white birds that I had never seen before.  There were so many, I had to take notice and as I did, I saw one was perched on the fence close to the street.  He seemed to be watching my car drive by.  I told my friend about what I had just seen and she said this was my confirmation that all was going to be ok and I had a feeling she was right.  A bit later when I drove by again the bird was still perched on the fence and he caught my eye again.  At this point I was convinced there was some sort of message or sign.

Photo from: www.jrcompton.com
Photo from: www.jrcompton.com

Now I am all about symbolic meaning, synchronicities, no coincidences etc. and this felt like one of those moments so I was eager to know what type of bird it was and any symbolic meaning behind it.

I found that the bird was either an Egret or a Heron and they symbolize peace, going with the flow, patience, prosperity, good luck, self-reliance etc.  I was amazed and comforted, but most of all excited for what the future holds for me.  As it unfolds, I will continue to be open to the signs, symbols, and inspirational nuggets that will guide the way.

So, that is what I have learned this week.  What have you learned?