Lamisha Serf-Walls

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?  

Start Where You Are

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It’s a new year and you finally know what you want to do.  Your dreams are big, your inspiration is on fire, but your confidence is a little lacking.

You aren’t quite sure where to start.  Maybe you have some doubts about if you have what it takes to begin.

You wonder:  Do I have enough money?  Time?  Experience?  Do I even know how to get started? I mean if you had all that wouldn’t you have started already?

Maybe not.

The truth is, very few people have everything they need to accomplish their dreams up front.  Sure, you may have an idea of what you need to get started, but what if inspiration is all you need to get started?  What if, deciding what you want to do is the only thing you need to begin?

What if that were true?

I have a secret.  That is all you need to get started, but chances are you know more than just that.

You have inspiration, ideas, imagination, and you already know some of what is needed to get started and there is something you can do now to move you in the direction of your dreams.

Start where you are.where you are

Don’t wait until you have the money, the time, the steps, the certification, and the perfect plan.  Start now, with what you have.

There is always something you can do to get you moving in the right direction and I promise it doesn’t have to be hard or frustrating.  It can be fun, exciting, and inspiring.  Not sure how to start?  Need a little nudge or a creative pow wow?

I can help.  I can meet you where you are with all that inspiration in your soul and help you find that first step.  That first simple, fun, and exhilarating step that together, we can build on through our coaching together.  It’s time for you to respond to the call and make your dreams a reality.

Interested? If so, contact me today and we can get you scheduled for your intro session to discuss your beautiful dream.  Together we can make some incredible things happen.  What are you waiting for?

2014 Planning In Pieces

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Happy New Year my beautiful Dreamers!

I had every intention of writing a post on the first day of January, however I ended up spending some time with family and worked a bit on a workshop I am co-hosting later this month.  I did, however want to share with you how I am implementing my “planning” for the year, but before I get into that, let’s talk a bit about why everyone gets so worked up over resolutions.

It seems logical that a shiny new year is the right time to make changes in life, but the reason so many people fail to keep their resolutions is because they can often be both overzealous and all-or-nothing.  For instance, wanting to get into shape doesn’t necessarily mean you have to run 50 miles a week right off the bat and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to cut out large food groups from your diet.  Other resolutions like wanting to stop smoking or drinking sodas tends to render the same effect.  People want immediate change and while it might last for a few days, it very rarely results in lasting change.

While I haven’t really been a bit resolution maker in the past, I tend to get excited about what a new year may bring.  There seems to be a special appeal about making big changes and goals beginning on the first day of the year.  It’s similar to the feeling I get when I purchase a new notebook or journal.  Crisp pages, with the promise of fresh ideas, creative pieces, and other amazing creations that may appear on the page.  The New Year is like that for many.

In the past two years I have found that I benefit best from planning for the year ahead in pieces.  I don’t get too serious about the big, bold steps in between, and am more concerned with the first one.  Knowing what I want to accomplish is a wonderfully creative process where I get to visualize and imagine the best year yet, while still making room for surprises and other magical moments.  I have also always wanted to try out a creative planning tool for the new year that takes a less “logical” approach to planning and this year I think I have found the one.

I am using Leonie Dawson’s 2014 Create Your Amazing Year planner for business and personal planning and boy is it a beautifully crafted, creative planner!  And while the shiny, New Year was quickly approaching, I thought I would have an opportunity to dig into it before January 1st, but with family etc. I didn’t get as far as I initially wanted and that’s ok, because this year I am planning 2014 in pieces.  January is going to be my month of brainstorming, dreaming, creating, and following my inspiration wherever it may lead.  I already have some things in mind for this year and I am really looking forward to what is left to be revealed throughout the year.  One thing is for sure, this year is going to be incredible.

The “logical” planner might wonder how I can be so sure of what the outcome will be if I don’t have a specific, step-by-step breakdown of how I am going to make this year epic.  My answer? I know it because I not only trust that each step will lead me to the next, but I have also set the expectation that it will be.

And so it is.
photo credit: thomasstache via photopin cc

When OTHER Things Come First…

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I have been working on this post for quite a while now and it seems the more I wait to post it, the more inspiration I have to do so.

In working with a client a few weeks ago, we had a conversation about why our dreams take the backseat to more pressing things.  I realized in that moment I too had been putting off many things that would progress my dreams for one reason or another and then it hit me.

Even when we have the inspiration to dive head first into creating the life of our dreams, LIFE still happens.

There are deadlines, work stuff, family stuff, and in general other stuff that seems so much more important in the moment.  Those things take our attention, focus, and energy and leave little for us to use for the things that truly matter to us.  The things we are meant to do and truly love doing.

It puts us in a quandary of sorts.busy

We make excuses as to why we can’t get started on our book or do research for our business.  We make a laundry list of reasons why we simply don’t have the time or the money to give to that thing that we really want and need to.  Laundry, cleaning the house, fixing the car, going to work, taking the kids to soccer, basketball, and ballet all come first.  We argue with ourselves about how selfish it is to think that we should take time away from our children, our jobs, our spouses, our responsibilities to do what we want to do, but is it really a selfish act?

We have to ask ourselves if following our hearts and making room for the things that bring us joy is selfish.  Is it really?  Maybe in the world we are living in it is and what an unhappy place that is.  A place that makes us feel bad for doing something we enjoy and presses upon us the need to serve others and make other people happy while sacrificing our own.

Before I head down a rabbit hole of how terrible the world can be, let me stop and say that I don’t believe our choice lies between selfish and selfless living.  Nor is it a question of doing one thing over the other.  I suggest a compromise.  A meeting and melding of two worlds that creates a necessary balance between selfish and selfless acts.  A space where needs are met and dreams are lived.

Are you with me?

What I propose is simple.  So simple you may even wonder why you didn’t implement it long ago.  That simple step is this.

Instead of diving into your day checking off items on your to-do list and rushing to and fro, why not set a sacred space for your dream?

Call it the Dream Hour or Selfish Session or something a bit more personal ( and catchy).  It doesn’t matter what you call it, what matters is what you do with that time.

Set a specific amount of time each day at the beginning of your day to give to your dream.  You don’t have to operate using lists and an agenda either.  Simply show up for a set amount of time and commit that time to making progress on your dream.  If it’s writing, then write or read what you have written.  Are you a singer?  Then sing your song or listen to inspiring artists.

Make your dreams, your purpose, your passions a priority in your life, otherwise they will always end up being an afterthought in your long, busy day.  

Your dreams deserve the space to thrive, so what difference does 30-60 minutes a day make when you are creating a life that you love?  If you are like many, you might even spend more time than that on social media sites.

Don’t wait for the New Year to get started either, start today.  I promise you won’t be sorry you did.

2013 Reflection-Look How Far You’ve Come

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Hello my lovely dreamers!

I apologize for my sudden time off of the blog, but with Christmas and some pending deadlines just before the holiday, I found myself a bit scattered.  As I work to get back on track, I thought I would share with you a bit about what the next week and a half will be about here on the blog.

As the New Year approaches, many of us are looking to make some changes.  Some big and maybe a few small changes and as we plan to make 2014 the best year yet, I have a few things planned here on the blog.

Last year, I wrote a few posts about how I was going to plan for 2013 with a Letter to Myself, a vision board, and selecting a theme for the year.  This year, I have a few ideas for making changes for the new year along with some other inspiring posts to get us all started on the right foot.  I hope you will join me in this end of year reflection and planning as the new year approaches.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one for all of us.

The process of reflection is an important piece that many of us miss as we look to make changes.  We get so excited for what is to come, that we often forget to look back at all of our accomplishments and challenges.  This is meant to give you a clear picture of how far you have come as well as provide an opportunity to really celebrate the past year.  The lessons, challenges, and successes are all part of how you got to where you are today and reflecting on that can be invaluable for the future.  Michelle Ward keeps track of her “wins” throughout the year so she can reflect back on it at the end of the year in celebration.  You can read her 2013 re-cap here.

Even if you haven’t collected your wins throughout the year, this exercise is a great way to get started on your reflection.  Think back to all the things you started, made progress on, and completed in the past year.  Write them down, celebrate them and recognize your progress.  You might even take it one step further and take note of any challenges you overcame during the year that you are particularly proud of.

Every year is something to celebrate and before you begin to make plans for 2014, take a step back and review how far you have come.

My list of wins include:

  • Taking the leap to create my coaching framework (April)
  • Successfully working with my wonderful guinea pig client (May)
  • Reaching my 1 year mark of blogging (October)
  • Working with a total of 5 clients (from August to December)

While I am sure there are many others that I am missing, the biggest thing for me this year was taking the leap into my dream career and committing myself to helping clients live their dreams.  It is my gift, my calling, and my purpose and I love doing what I do.

Take some time this week to reflect on 2013.  What wins would you put on your list?