Those of you who know me at all, or who follow my work, are aware that I value originality above pretty much any other quality or virtue. The phoniness of people who posture, pretend and try to present themselves in a good light, all while hiding behind the words or presence of famous or well known public figures is staggering. It has gotten to the point where if I see one more quote from Richard Branson or Rumi, I want to puke. And I’m a huge Rumi fan!
That said, there has been one quote from one individual over the years whose words I not only have shared in an effort to assist in making my own message clearer, but have actually leaned on myself for strength and courage in time of need. The quote is the one by Marianne Williamson, which begins with the lines:
Our greatest fear is not that we’re inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
If you aren’t familiar with this quote, I encourage you to Google it. It’s well worth reading daily! But the one line from this quote, which made its way permanently into my mind and heart decades ago, reads as follows:
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
This sums up in a nutshell every challenge that has been inherent in every major action I have ever executed or life decision I’ve been called on to make. For years I shrank in guilty terror at speaking out or speaking up, lest I disturb the “status quo” of some mysterious and apparently all-knowing “they” to whom my mother, bless her heart, would allude. She began so many sentences with the words “they say”, in defense somehow of her own unconscious ability to take full responsibility for herself and her life, that I had to wonder who these people were who had such a powerful influence over MY life and what was or wasn’t right for me.
But it’s not the masses who I’ve been most afraid of confronting or challenging with my words and message. They’re too lost in the oblivion of unconscious illusion to even have a clue as to what the real (rather than projected or assumed) meaning of my words is at this point anyway.
No. The ones I’ve been afraid of speaking honestly to are the ones who are awake enough to have had a glimpse of the Absolute Truth underlying their deluded albeit sincere efforts to help people and yet continue to devote their lives to making the illusion of their relative personal existences prettier, bigger, richer, more impactful, etc anyway. The ones who can’t (or refuse to) see that most of the coaching profession is little more than an attempt to spiritualize capitalism being made by individuals who had a powerful experience or three and decided to join the flock of other white sheep offering their services as self proclaimed teachers and healers rather than being a lone black sheep standing on its own sole Soul connection to Source.
The ones who continue to compete rather than collaborate; to condemn rather than open their hearts to genuine compassion; to seek control in one form or another rather than surrendering in conscious compliance with a divine order they know to be at work behind the scenes.
NO offense is intended here to the MANY people out there whose work I respect and who I love dearly as friends and fellow pilgrims on the path. But unless the “work” you are doing is EXACTLY what you would still be doing with all your heart and soul and loving presence if there were no longer any such thing as financial compensation, I suggest that you are living a lie and not only are you not being of divine service, you are actually doing harm to yourSelf and to the Whole by living a life that is less than what you know you are capable of living.
It’s time to STOP putting bandaids on boo-boos or seeking to exchange iron chains for golden handcuffs and recognize that Healing is the recognition that only Truth is true.
Truth is That Which never changes.
Devotion to any thing else is the real definition of sin.
Shifting from the competitive to the creative mind, a talent few possess. When one can begin creating from thought, on to the image, and further into the physical form, such as artists like you Beth, that is when we’re able to cross over to a new plane. The path of which you speak is a delightful dance when we can honestly report, that yes indeed, were there no financial gain, we would continue to traverse the road.
You and Byron are people of true integrity, Mariah, who have devoted your lives to following the Command of the Heart as it speaks to and through you both. Equally rare and immensely beautiful and blessed. I am truly honored to be a part of your world, walking the path alongside you.💞
Wow! Elizabeth. This is both powerful and provoking. But so very truthful.
I love it.
Your spot on my lady.
Love the truth you are in not the one you pretend is real.
You speak to my soul and I applaud your article as it is respectfully delivering the punch some need to hear.
Too many try to capitalize on the idea of being experts in truth without living in their own.
There are experts from experience ( to whom I believe are more genuine), and as you say there are those who jump on the bandwagon of passing others work around, without being genuinely educated and creative and delivering their own unique ability. Truth says to me that without a genuine heart, rewards are short lived and there are no permanent gains.
This stood out to me…
“ The ones who can’t (or refuse to) see that most of the coaching profession is little more than an attempt to spiritualize capitalism being made by individuals who had a powerful experience or three and decided to join the flock of other white sheep offering their services as self proclaimed teachers and healers rather than being a lone black sheep standing on its own sole Soul connection to Source.”
Being original takes guts, being real takes truth, being yourself means confessing what you don’t know and not living pretending that you do.
Living in your truth is the only way to live your best life
“Assumptions are presumptions about which we know nothing”
We know more nothings than somethings and that’s the truth in living 😀
It’s a shame that the world is full of coaching experts who also need some coaching.
I honestly think it’s a term overused. We just need friends to encourage us and talk with us.
The modern world has taken our time in work and chasing the so called “dreams” of others.
I too, question who “they” are out there, for “they” seem to be more in our own thoughts.
We should be asking “ who” invited them
Thank you so much for sharing your powerful words here.
I felt refreshed and feel more admiration for your beautiful spirit.
I truly am speechless at the depth of your understanding, receptivity and powerfully pure heart, Paula. You have given me a divine gift here that I feel I have been waiting lifetimes to witness; acknowledgement that I can speak up with ALL the passion of my experience and wisdom, without watering it down or trying to make it more palatable, and actually be HEARD and honored for doing so.
Thank you. Bless you. Inexpressibly grateful for you.
Elizabeth I’ve just become your fan.
The authenticity and crispness with which you have expressed yourself is absolutely commendable.
“There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”
I love this because I must admit that for a very very long time in my life I used to do that, believing it is a virtue. How dumb /naive was I? And that is ok because it taught me a lot.
I love the work I do in Coaching arena, and I can only say one thing about myself. I charge for my Coaching services because I value and respect the work I do, and the dedication with which I provide huge value-add to each client of mine. Having said that, I am happy with myself that I provide the exact same value-add to even my pro-bono clients.
Have a great day
Rita!
Thank you so much for understanding that I was NOT advocating that coaches (or anyone else for that matter) work for free, at least as long as we are entwined in a system that depends on the exchange of money for services provided, whatever those services might be. My real message is far beneath the surface and I can tell that you received it heart to heart, which thrills my Soul and makes me equally YOUR champion and supporter as we move through the game of life together.
The kind of genuine confidence your words exude makes it clear that you have the all important SOURCE connection flowing through your work, without which any of our efforts is ultimately impotent.
Much love to you, warrior sister. Looking forward to dancing with you on LinkedIn!!
Beth
You’re right. I received your real message heart-to-heart, and that is thanks to the deep listening I practice.
Thank you for your appreciative words.
❤️🤗🔥
One part of me wants wholeheartedly to agree with you. Over 30 years ago a friend healed me and she said that when one has a gift, one only is allowed to keep it as long as one doesn’t exploit it. Try to exploit it – and you lose it.
The other part of me says that people need to put food on the table.
I refuse to believe that the only good upcoming marketing people (or novices in many other industries) must come from families that can afford to support their unpaid internship plagued children.
Gifts and talents show up everywhere, and it would be a pity if only people who have spent a long life in upper management with a decent retirement packet would ever have the opportunity to both eat and spread their gifts.
So the question for me is “what does exploit mean?”
There are megachurch preachers living high on gullible members donations. Shame on them. Not because their members don’t benefit form the sense of belonging and the good will of the community, but because putting yourself above your flock is just not ethical.
The other end of the spectrum that I see you advocating for – and I may well read your post wrong, Elizabeth – is where people must give away their “coaching” for free.
This requires that people do something else to live or have somebody in their life willing to pay the bills. Where would they also have time to learn and grow themselves? Yes, I know that the best learning comes in teaching, but still.
Just like the interns, I also refuse to believe that the only people given gifts of insight are those who have other people to pay their bills.
I don’t know where the balance point is. But I am curious to engage around the question.
I love the stream of consciousness way you trustingly allowed yourSelf to make this beautifully honest and vulnerable comment, Charlotte!! There are so many different points you have raised that I would not be able to respond to them all; so I will follow my own heart in an equally stream of consciousness answer and hope that somewhere in it you find a kernel of inspiration to assist you in making sense of the rest!
I was not suggesting that coaches work for free. No doubt it came across that I’m not a huge fan of coaching is general; but my point was more that – as a society – if we can’t be ruthlessly honest enough with ourselves as to distinguish between what we NEED (very minimal) and what we (think we) WANT (unending) we will drown in the kind of blindly unconscious cruelty that has human beings killing each other by the tens of thousands on a daily basis.
It is my heartfelt conviction that we are headed toward a return to a society and kind of living where money is recognized as nothing more than little pieces of green paper with the faces of dead presidents on their surface. Each individual will do what he or she loves to do, naturally and organically, for the betterment and benefit of the whole. We will “trade” skills and services with no price tags attached that ultimately say one person is “better” than another. This may sound idealistic but I honestly think that if we can’t get to this point, the human race might not be around on planet Earth much longer.
On a personal note, I can tell you that in my 60 years I have lived a life of faith and surrender from day 1, never had a “real” job, and never once had to worry about putting food on the table. I feel that excessive concerns like that are a reflection of a deep seated denial of the divine purpose of our lives and an unwillingness to really look at the root of what is holding us back or down in our lives.
I’ll stop here for now. Thank you again for your comment and I sincerely hope there is something of value to you in my response!!
Let me limit my comment to that your pieces of art are stunning.
Thank you for your appreciation 💞. I look forward to engaging more with you on LinkedIn 💞
I agree, Elizabeth, most of us are terrified at how powerful we truly are, and our fear is real. It always comes with a cost to expose ourselves to the world as we really are. Recently, I heard someone say we never meet someone new, we first meet their bodyguard.
Thanks for sharing this.
BE
Thank you for your comment, Byron! It is my experience that our fear is only real as long as we are refusing or hesitant to look it straight on in the face. It’s what we try to keep hidden under the bed that scares us. But when we realize that ONLY a life of TRUTH is worth living, we become willing to see it all and to uncover the gifts that lie waiting at the core of every experience, no matter how painful it seemed to be at the time.
Appreciate you 💕
BAM! Indeed! What a testament to YOUR unwavering Commitment to TRUTH, that you can recognize and acknowledge it when it’s staring you in the face!! Appreciate you infinitely 💕
BAM! Powerfully and beautifully stated Beth!
On point… a direct connection to confidence, self awareness and unfaltering TRUTH.
Thank you Carolyn!! The comment above was meant for you 💞💕🤗