August 2017: How Comfortable Are You with Change?

One of the best times in my life was when I was a member of Freeplay Dance Crew – a fabulous group of men and women who loved to dance for the sake of dancing. We often described ourselves as “professionals who dance” rather than professional dancers! I had been with the company for about four years when we decided to take on creating a full-length show complete with costumes, lighting, and collaboration with another great dance company, Prince On Point. Little did we know what we had in store!! One day, the director called us all to circle up before rehearsal and gave us some news – we would be dancing the entire show barefooted. Um, say what? We’re a hip hop crew – ya know, chucks, sneakers – that barefoot stuff is for those contemporary dancer type folks! There were immediate protests (yes, yes I was one of the loudest to voice my objections). How can we do that? Our feet are going to bleed! I have ugly toes – I don’t want the world to see them! (yes, we also had grandiose ideas as to how many people would see our performance). I wonder if our director knew the storm that he’d face in asking us to make this change? Did he anticipate all of the emotions that would rise from him asking us to try on this approach to dancing that was new, uncomfortable, scary, and felt really risky? In the end, he won – I mean, he was the director, the leader, our guide – and so we gave up our protests and trusted in him and his vision, knowing he must be able to see something that we couldn't yet. Now that doesn’t mean we didn’t whine during rehearsals from time to time, or sneakily make faces at him when his back was turned – but we worked together, we supported and encouraged each other, and the end result was – well, beautiful. It’s not lost on me the significance that the title of the show was Re/Genesis – a new beginning! You can check it out here: Re/Genesis : an exploration of spirituality through dance To this day, that performance is one that I hold most dear to my heart, because it taught me something that I try to keep in mind every day when I work with my clients as their guide – sometimes, what I’m asking them to do feels like dancing with no shoes on. Some days, when I say, “Trust me, this will work, just try” – I know there are doubts and fears that immediately come up. Change can be uncomfortable. Change can seem like a daunting task or even a trick. A risk. An exposure. But remember – on the other side of change and discomfort is something beautiful, a new creation, a new life – knowing something about yourself that you never thought, doing something that you imagined to be impossible, a life you might have thought unattainable. Today – even if it feels uncomfortable – I invite you to dance with your shoes off and see what happens! And if I can be of a support to – if you’re looking for a “director” to guide your dance, please don’t hesitate to apply for a Discover Your Genuine Self Session. To change,   Watch Brene Brown break it down when it comes to identifying who doesn't deserve your story. Read this article to learn more about the science of breaking out of the comfort zone. What is one thing you can do to get out of your comfort zone and create something beautiful today?

BOOK OF THE MONTH   60 Second Self-Starter by Jeff Davidson     "With sixty simple, immediate techniques, he shows you how to get your workplace organized, streamline your workday, and boost your productivity and job satisfaction." READ MORE HERE!   UPCOMING EVENTS   If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, you don't want to miss this! I believe that as women we are born to create the waves of change that are so needed right now ... and you deserve full support to do this work you so love. So, we have co-created a fantastic urban retreat to Nourish you, and YOU are invited to join us for this very special event: RISE UP PRIESTESS CONFERENCE, 2 Day Women's Spirituality Gathering for women healers, leaders, priestesses, facilitators, and coaches. August 19th-20th (Berkeley, CA). Now more than ever, our feminine culture is at a profound crossroads. These past many years have skewed our sense of connection with our divine feminine and women’s community as the passports to our deepest collective dreams. Women are RE-emerging to Claim our roles as matriarchs and visionary leaders of our communities, and our culture. As this emergence continues, there is a growing need for women healers and leaders to receive support - so that we can fully share our wisdom and gifts AND live fulfilling and prosperous lives. I'm so excited to be presenting at workshop at the retreat and hope to see you there!   LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE!   July's Theme: Shame As survivors of childhood abuse, one of the most persistent and pervasive feelings we experience is shame. It affects our sense of self, our inner emotional lives, our relationships, and more. Learn More & Register Here