The last few weeks I have been journaling and reviewing like mad. What worked, what not, lessons learned, setting new goals, and of course what I am grateful for. (Highly recommended activity if you are not doing that already!)
This came up #1 on my “thankful for” list:
I was very surprised: The fact that I developed my Self-Magic-Portraits process (used to call it “FullyExpressed), AND made it part of my regular creative practice!
I was amazed to see that, because really, this year so much happened, so much growth and amazing people that came to my life, that I did not pay attention how huge THAT had been for me on a business and personal level.
To get over my visibility issues?
To have great shots of me after years of no pics at all? To be able to document my own expression? To feel a… full woman? (unexpected and most welcomed benefit, let me tell you…) To look at myself and SEE what I am able for?
This helped me so much in letting go of so many unnecessary beliefs and also setting new boundaries. Who would have thought…
Believe me, I am not the narcissistic gal, nor too much into my looks. But this got a whole different dimension…
So as an entrepreneur, I wanted to speak to my fellow entrepreneurs, and I was so excited to share this with them.
So, I shouted
“YOU ARE THE FACE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” I wanted to awaken their ability to be the face and the creative force behind their business, and to do this on their own. To take the responsibility on their hands, and to immensely enjoy the process. For real – these were not just fluffy words.
I knew I was not selling hot muffins, an aromatic massage or the elixir to eternal youth.
It’s hard to get over your visibility issues. It’s hard to devote some time to your looks and how you want to come across for your business, and in general. It’s hard to be on your stage and show your personality. It’s not easy to believe in your own creativity. It can be challenging to set it up. It’s not easy to trust that you can do it. It’s hard to say yes to all this. But so worth it!
So who I was talking to?
I thought to those that don’t have pics on their website, or have a bad selfie or an old one, who have visibility issues, who are willing to get creative, and who if were reminded that they are “the face of their business”, they will take action. SO WRONG!!!!
And then this took place:
I saw an old friend whom I have not seen for nearly 20 years. She told me I looked great; and then added: “You lost weight. You don’t have that problem anymore”.
My reaction: “Did I ever have such a problem???”
Now, in my twenties I was a bit overweight and I knew that. But I never thought I had a “problem” nor seeked diets or extra exercise. I was not ready for that. At all. And when I finally did loose the weight, it did not happen because I did something drastic about it but because one day I was just ready to loose it. My body on its own cut on some of the food and craved more movement.
And it hit me.
Me trying to “talk” to the wrong people, is like taking my younger self to a Weight Watchers program.
Can you image how that would have been for me? Or for the instructor???
So, my people for Self-Magic-Portraits would be those that are already visible, or really want and are ready to be, struggle to get a good selfie and either for some reason don’t take an photographer, maybe can’t afford it, maybe don’t know what to ask, and totally get the other benefits of doing this specific kind of work by yourself (financially and otherwise).
Can you image how different THAT would be for me, as an instructor?
Ready or not, know who you are.
Respect the timing, respect what is calling you, listen to your inner rhythm. But if the idea of getting out there, picks your interest once in a while, then you need to make the leap and jump off the iceberg. You will never be the same again, NOR YOU’LL WISH YOU WERE.
And see this as my personal invitation.
Because I’ve been right where you are. And the view from here is way more exciting and promising and full of rainbows and fuzzy animals and colorful flowers (kinda).
OR start where I started. (by coincidence it’s also called from start to star! hehe!!!)
It’s all written in the starts and in the stars, baby!
Every good blog post should have a call to action. For this one, the call is yours.
I get it. And I hope you too.
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