When I asked Sharon to send me a short bio so I could write this intro, I had a little chuckle. I’m not going to edit it at all… Here’s what Sharon sent me:
” I am an unashamed geek who has recently released her two new lifeform experiments out to infiltrate society after twenty years of nurturing them. Totally ready for my next adventures and challenges.
In business, I work with visionary entrepreneurs and business owners who are stuck in the mire of inaction by enabling them to know themselves, their business, and their path so that they feel energised to take the right actions to move forward.
I drink coffee in the morning, water in the afternoon, and JD in the evening. I haven’t met a cake I didn’t like, and I always see the problem as not enough shelves rather than too many books. The answer is forever 42 and I know where my towel is at any given moment. “
Awesome right!? Especially that last paragraph.
And here’s the knowledge bombs she brought with here…
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Learning about your current position so you can plan your future destinations
Life is often compared to a journey, the analogy is pretty obvious I guess. We’re conceived, born, live, die – it’s a fairly straight path. Yet, as with any journey, there are stops and starts, detours, and difficulties. When our journey comes to a shuddering halt we take time, re-assess, make new plans.
This is partly the story of my shuddering halt, the re-assessments I made the new destination I headed for, and partly inspiration for you to make your journey no matter where your starting point.
Depression felt like a black hole, sucking my joy, my life. Increasing pressure, pulling me down. No escape. However, like every heroine I gathered the tatters of my strength and decided to rise again. I knew I had a long and arduous path ahead but there was a depth of determination which would not be quashed.
Why did I decide to follow this path? Why put myself through self-discovery, not knowing what I may uncover? Because I wanted more. I wanted adventure, I wanted to experience all that life had to offer and I knew I could not achieve this feeling depressed, anxious, alone.
And this is what you desire with your entrepreneurial vision. More, more than being a drone giving your effort to make someone else wealthy. More than existing, you yearn for the self-development that has to go alongside running your own business. More than enough. You have a pull to be more in this universe, to give more, to help more, to be more.
Then there’s you. The digital nomad, the traveller through worlds of adventure, spaces of discovery, the one who understands that seeing the world through your own eyes beats any pixelated version from the internet.
You and I have a connection, we are both travellers, we know of the shadowy valleys and the deepest forest yet also understand the light that comes with knowledge of self and others. Taking the journey is a momentous decision for both of us, take my hand and walk with me.
The First Step
Make the decision. Decide within yourself that you will do this. There is no compromise, no retracing steps, it will be one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.
Often the decision is the hardest part. Knowing that we are going to be leaving behind all that has kept us safe all these years. Our ego, that which desires to keep us safe, will be never-endingly whispering in our ear of all the reasons we should stay right here.
We need to learn that our ego’s interests are not always our best interests.
This is where I was, although my ego disguised their intentions so well that I had no indication that there was anything other than what I was experiencing now. Sibilant whispers of destruction, insidious words of self-doubt – that was all I knew and all I ever thought there was.
Yet I knew it was time to do something.
That voice could not dictate my actions any longer. Through constant vigilance, strengthening my mind against its darkness I learned to control my reactions to it. With understanding I listened to its fears, accepted them as a part of me, then rejected them as something that no longer served me.
Breaking out hurt so much yet was exhilarating in its freedom. From being enclosed by walls of my own making I suddenly saw this sprawling landscape ahead waiting to be discovered.
I had conquered my ego.
Sent it to the back of its cave.
Sure, I could still hear it, but the strength of its words no longer had effect.
The Second Step
Explore. Since the internet everyone is an ‘expert’ and everyone knows their way is the best way. Really?
There are so many options to grow and be more than you are. Myriad ways to be YOU, to live YOU. Countless areas to explore and understand. Both internally and IRL. You know what the trick is? To pick what is right for YOU.
I read fantasy and one line I read many years ago has always stuck with me because it resonated so much.
“There is no one true way” Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey
I feel this applies to so many areas of life and business. Yet it is often difficult to follow as we look to the knowledgeable and successful to guide us. Feel that they are so far ahead of us that their way must be the right way.
Yet we are all unique. We are not part of a hive mind collective, we are individuals with individual needs, desires, behaviour.
And yes, I have been re-watching Star Trek Voyager with 7of9.
I looked to the experts, for both mind and business, searching for the way that would work. You know what I discovered? That trying to force myself into someone else’s box was not allowing me to grow as fully as I was capable of.
Nothing felt right. I felt constricted by actions and rituals that were not me.
It is the nature of people to want to not only share their experience and knowledge, but also instruct people that this is the way to be. They get so caught up in their success it seems to blind them to other options which may serve others better.
“This way works, look at me, look at my success, you have to do this to achieve what I have done”
It took me a long while to come to the realisation that their way is not necessarily my way, so I share it with your freely so that you can find YOUR way quicker.
I have come to the understanding that on this journey it is as important to know where we are as to know where we are going. Understand yourself and your needs because “know thyself” is a powerful phrase with which to begin a powerful journey.
The Third Step
Action. You absolutely need to take action on your decision and your knowledge else all you have done is wasted effort.
Do you know what the problem with action is? It forces you to step outside that little comfort zone which you and your ego have co-created, made like a cosy nest lined with soft feather and warm fur.
Yet if we are to take up our back pack and fulfil the destiny we have envisaged we need to take action. And it’s not only taking action, but taking the right awesome action for YOU and your life and business.
We have gone through deciding to be more, learning how we can be more, now is the time to act and be more.
I was often stuck at the action stage, well just before it to be precise. On the precipice, looking down the depths of that grandest of canyons, wondering if my hang-glider wings will hold, feet Acme-glued to the ground.
Perhaps that is where you are, maps spread out around you, travel itineraries swirling in your head, airmiles begging to be used.
And yet you’re there, sat on the floor at home, safe in your dreams.
As with all things you have to choose your dream (make the decision), explore your options (hence the maps and so on), then PICK A DAMNED PLACE TO START.
What is stopping you? And here’s where you get a little tough-love coming your way.
Fear
Money
Options
The list could go on I guess.Yet all these excuses – and yes, that’s what they are – have solutions.
Excuses are opportunities in disguise.
Find a way around them and deal with them. Get tough. Fear (your ego) tell it to go take a hike. Money (not enough) there’ll never be enough, get out there and create some. Options (too many) then pick one – out of a hat if you have to.
Starting a business and travelling are felines of the same colour, you have to decide, make a plan, the take action for your plans to be reality.
For me, crawling out of depression was a decision. And no I didn’t decide and magically make it happen dufuss. But that decision led to me exploring myself and my options, which eventually led to me taking the right actions for me to begin the long crawl upwards.
Decide. Explore. Take Action.
