Lamisha Serf-Walls

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.

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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.

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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! 

Pay What You Can-Limited Offer

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Happy Monday Fellow Dreamers!

I have been making some tweaks and adjustments to the way my website looks so don’t be alarmed if things look a little different this week.  I am very excited about some upcoming offerings and discounts that will be available for some of my coaching packages.  I am also setting up a newsletter for those of you who sign up for my VIP list.  You will be the first to get notifications about new offerings, free stuff, and can be the first to sign up for my upcoming programs.  While all that comes together, I will still be posting a few times a week to share my journey and insights with you.dreamscometrue

I don’t know about you but it seems to me that time is speeding up as the end of the year quickly approaches.  I have some major plans for 2014, but I have decided not to wait to get started and you shouldn’t either.  Now is the time to think about the things you didn’t get to do this year and get started.

What is that one thing you really wanted to do but somehow you couldn’t find the time, money, contacts, etc. to do it? 

That thing that just popped into your mind, I can help with it.  I know some of you aren’t quite sure how this coaching thing works, but I want to give you a little taste of the goodness you can get from working with me.  So, I am offering a FREE 30-minute session to anyone who is interested in discussing, brainstorming, and planning that one thing you want to do for 2014.  In that time we can pinpoint what is holding you back and discuss the next steps.  This session not only gives you an introduction to coaching, but actually gives you some clarity too!  For those of you who have been thinking of working with me, this is your chance to make that happen.  At the end of our call we can discuss whether you want to move forward with coaching.  If you decide to do so, I am also offering a special “Pay What You Can” for 2 sessions for the first 10 people interested.  Signing up is easy, just contact me here and include a note about what you would like to work on.  I will respond within 24 hours and we can get you scheduled!

drseussI hear a lot of people say if they had more time and money they would do that ultimate thing they have always dreamed of.  Some people have some of the resources, but just don’t know where to begin.  The common denominator between these two groups is the “I’ll do it when ____”.  There is always something that is delaying what they ultimately want to do and they don’t realize that in order for the pieces to fall into place you must take that first step.  All it takes is one teeny, tiny, step in the direction of your dreams and some truly amazing things can happen.  Let me show you how.  We can do some pretty amazing things in 2 full sessions so what are you waiting for?

Don’t miss out on this truly amazing offer to pay what you can afford for sessions that would cost about $100 a session with the regular pricing..  Remember this offer is limited to 10 people so don’t wait.  Contact me today!

I look forward to speaking to you about the dreams that will soon become reality!

Missing Link-Imagination

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I recently took a poll of my Facebook friends to find out what it was exactly that they felt they needed to tackle their ‘ultimate dream’.  I wanted to find out what my potential clients are struggling with so I can create more resources, programs, and content to assist them.  The responses were interesting to say the least because what they were lacking falls into one of three categories: resources (time, money, space), belief in self (courage, confidence), or knowing where to start.  I knew as soon as I read their comments that I was on to something because these were many of the things I struggled with in the last 2 years as I contemplated how I was going to begin my life coaching business.

While all of the responses fell into one of the three categories, most people said the lack of time, money, or space to create their ‘ultimate dream’, was the thing they were missing.  This isn’t all that surprising when you figure how many people are juggling a multitude of responsibilities and are simply trying to keep up with their busy schedules.  From what I gathered, a lot of the people who responded in this way had some idea of how to couragemake their dream a reality, but they only saw one way to make it happen.

Many of the responders also said that they were lacking the courage and confidence to make it happen in addition to the resources.  So before even setting out to achieve their ultimate dream, they were felt like they just couldn’t do it.  It seemed just too big to tackle right now.  Interesting…

The last response came from people not really knowing how to begin.  These are people who know what they want to do, but just haven’t put anything into action to find a way to make it happen.  These may be people who feel like their dream is so far out of reality, they can’t even fathom how to make it happen.  In fact, they may not even allow themselves to think about it too much because it is that far out.

So what do all these people have in common?  They are all using their logic to get them from point A to point B.  They are using their memories, knowledge, current reality, and logical thinking in order to figure out how to make their dreams come true and if they come up against a roadblock, many people tend to give up.  I think I have a better way of doing this.  imagination-11

Instead of looking at the reality of your situation (the responsibilities, bills to pay, kids to care for, schedules to keep up with, the fact that you have never had enough money to travel, or you are too afraid to fail etc.) and using that to find the most realistic way of doing things, I encourage you to use your imagination. Out of the box thinking allows you to be open to other possibilities of how your dream may come to fruition.  Instead of seeing a straight and narrow path to your goal or dream, you see a beautiful web of possibilities with fun stuff all along the way!  It’s there that you begin to feel the magic.

When you tap into your imagination and follow what feels good and right for you, the journey is enjoyable too.  You aren’t constantly taking score of where you are in relationship to where you want to be, but instead are enjoying the little nuggets along the way.  One piece leads to the next and to the next and before you know it you have unlocked your potential to create the ultimate dream regardless of what that entails.

There are an infinite number of possibilities to creating the life of your dreams and by hanging onto the one most likely way (in your mind), you are blocking out all the rest.  The only true limitation in achieving the life of your dreams, is the illusion you can’t do it, don’t have the means, or that it’s just too good for you, because the truth is you can have all you need.

Are you ready?

Feeling The Pull, But Need A Push

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I recently read a book called The Gift of Adversity and in it was a story about how the author (Norman Rosenthal, M.D.) was in a work environment that was just “ok”.  He had a feeling he wanted to do something more, to make a change, and expand upon what he had learned at this given place of employment.  Instead of following this feeling, he stayed and after some time he realized with new management and new structuring, he was essentially being pushed out.  He then remembered the words of a colleague who had been trying to recruit him for another position.

“In order to leave, you need both a push and a pull.  Right now, you have no push.”led by dreams

How many of us can say that about taking that step into the life of our dreams?  Sometimes our dreams pull at us quietly like a young child tugging at our hand to gently guide us into another room to play.  As the pull gets stronger it can feel like a magnetic force pulling us into the future, yet our feet remain planted on the ground.

Why is that?

I think it is because we have settled into our reality for what it is.  We have become friends with our lives as they are and think to ourselves “It’s not so bad.”  But a “not so bad” life also doesn’t mean it’s passionate, exciting, and fulfilling.

I have heard people say they feel guilty about wanting what they want.  Selfish for wanting something more than what they have.  Mothers wanting a moment of peace, feeling guilty when they get it or feeling bad when they decide to do something that will fulfill their deepest desires like writing a book or starting a business.

Dreams are not selfish.  They are natural, beautiful, and amazing.  They are the reasons we have all the wonderful technological advances we have.  A dream is just a thought fueled by passion and desire.  Dreaming is what kids do without being taught to do so.  They have wide open imaginations that exist in surround sound and technicolor.  Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up and you will get a multitude of magical answers.  It’s refreshing when you think about it because they think without limits.  They want to flying superheroes by night and comic book authors by day.  They want to save the world and everyone in it, never once thinking if it is possible.  We could learn a lot from them.

So if you have your pull (and I assure you, you do), where is your push?  For me it is knowing my full-time employment will be ending in a few months.  The picture in my head looked a little different when I first thought about how my dreams would manifest.  But who am I to question the push?  It is here and by golly it is exciting!  Am I a little uneasy in the not-knowing?  I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t.  Of course I am!  But I am also excited to see what will come of it and have faith that it is all going to work out.

If you feel the pull, but need a little push to get you going, send me a message and we can get you started with a free coaching session.  Let’s explore the amazing possibilities of what your ultimate dream could become.  Are you ready?