...and Now, the Good News! (Part 1)

Around the time that the "bad news" began (mid-February), I had a simultaneous occurrence of good news.

I have always dreamed of opening my own healing center. At the beginning of this year, I decided to make the slow movement towards making this all possible, in time. I recognized that the first step would be to make some additional income through renting out my current treatment room. I decided that I was ready to find someone in preparation for creating the healing center of my dreams.

But the thing was, I didn't really want to put an add on craigslist and solicit to strangers. Ideally, I wanted to find someone that I possibly already know and could trust. Someone that had good energy and intentions and who's goals matched mine so we could work on building something together. I didn't really have anyone in mind, but I did desire for this person to appear sooner rather than later.

So I was driving to work one day in early February, thinking about these things, and I said to the universe, "Universe, I really want to make this happen but don't want to put an add on craigslist, and I would like it to happen soon. I'll give you a month. If no one appears within 30 days, then I will put out an add. But I will give you the chance to send someone first."

No kidding, two weeks later I received an email in my inbox with the subject "New LMT." The email was from Deran, the brother of a friend of mine who was recently licensed in massage and was asking if I was interested in taking a new therapist under my wing. Well, hot damn, I thought, my request totally worked! Deran and I had actually had a phone conversation about 6 months before when he was interviewing me for a project while he was still in massage school. I didn't know that I did already know this new therapist, but then I asked and there he was. Magic.

So as of a few months ago, Deran officially joined the Upward Spiral team. We are spiraling upward and onward and it turns out that this is just the beginning of a whole new project for Upward Spiral. More soon!

All You Have To Do Is Answer

Joseph Campbell taught me that the mythic process always begins with a call to action.  I will often joke that God may call us, but we have to pick up the phone. 

Well, I got this phone call last week, just as I was walking out the door.  I could see that it was not a familiar number but I answered anyway. It was a very nice woman calling from the

Hippocrates Health Institute

 asking me if I was interested in representing my business at their upcoming community health fair and lecture here in Tampa, Jan. 30th. Even though she was essentially trying to sell me something (a table/booth), there was also a genuineness in her, I didn't feel immediately turned off as tends to happen with solicitors.  The more she told me about the lecture the more I felt like it was something I'd like to attend anyway.  I figured by representing Upward Spiral at the event I will be exposing myself to my ideal clients: people with the desire to take their health into their own hands. Plus, Dr. Clement will be talking about not only diet and exercise, but also spiritual practice.  This is totally my event. 

So I will be there (I have six $15 tickets for sale - contact me if you'd like one!) and I feel like the action of making that choice is propelling me forward in many ways.  Whether or not I actually get connections out of this event or not, I see how this project is forcing me to get my act together. 

After the 101 Days of Gratitude Project, I was about computer/internet/social media -ed out. Through December and early January, I had very little activity on Facebook (personal and business page) and Twitter, and I even slacked off on my email or website updates.  In reviewing my journals from the past year, I was reminded that I had about a week "internet fast" during the summer when I was out of town and I remembered it feeling really great. Over the holidays, it was what I needed as well.  I guess we have to detox from technology as much as toxic food. 

It's not that technology is bad, it helps me out a lot. It is how the Hippocrates Institute found me, and how I learn about some really amazing things.  But I know that I just don't feel good when I spend a substantial amount of time at the computer. Moderation, Moderation. Reminds me of one of my FAVORITE Get Fuzzy comics. 

So I am back online updating my website, cleaning up some loose ends, composing new marketing material and just generally getting on top of things. It feels really good. After being a little stagnant, I see that all I needed was a hand to reach out and encourage me to move forward again. 

Basically, I feel right now that I am stepping forward in the answer of my next call to action. I see that as the continuing evolution of Upward Spiral, becoming more of what it really is, which I guess is essentially, me giving my heart to the world. A little scary, but that's why growth tends to happen in moderation. 

Day 97: Time Off

As I have expressed in previous posts recently, it has gotten difficult to find the time and energy to post on here everyday.  I have been blessed with more work than I had been used to the past few months, and that has caused me to get behind a bit in my gratitude project. But I have still been grateful everyday for all kinds of things, and that is what really matters. Besides, I can't help but wonder if my increased gratefulness over the past few months is part of what has contributed to my abundance of business all of a sudden. Hmmmm....one will never know for sure, but I'll be grateful for it anyways.

One big lesson from the past few weeks has been scheduling time off for myself. I started working 8-12 hours a day over a 6 or 7 day stretch mainly because I was still in the attitude of taking business whenever business is there and had neglected to schedule myself regular days off.  Phew! Since I most often work on Saturdays, I have decided to let Monday be my day off.  It won't fully go into effect for the next few weeks, but going into 2013 I will no longer take appointments on Monday. Whoo-hoo!

I also scheduled for myself a week at the beginning of the year to rest and recharge. I am not sure exactly what I will be doing with this time, but I know it is there and that foresight of relief is really all that matters.

Days 80-84: A Growing Business

Something has happened over the past few weeks: I've had a lot more work than I am used to. Between completing this manuscript, seeing

slightly over

my weekly goal of clients the past few weeks, preparing two workshops, and all the normal stuff I need to take care of, it seems like I am working all the time!

This is a good thing, a very good thing, but if I don't watch myself, it is a bit tiring as well. All minor complaints aside, it is exactly where I want to be. Building a business is a challenging task. I am educating myself on practically every aspect of business owning all on my own. I get a little help here and there but for the most part, it is all up to me.

I am learning big lessons in time management. Part of the reason I have neglected my gratitude posts the past few days is that I didn't find the right way to fit it in my busy days. This is the wrong way to think about it.

It seems interesting to me that I have not done any extra advertising or marketing, but I have gotten busier. I believe that having and expressing more gratitude has something to do with it.

So my new mantra is "Gratitude will get me through." So far it has, and I bet it would for you too.

Home

For the past few months, I've been getting closer and closer to moving out of my "home office" - the third bedroom with over flow stuff that doesn't get used much - and finding someone who'd like to live in that room.  In fact, both my current roommate and I had someone close to us that almost needed a new place to live and tentatively planned to move in.

One of which was in early April and it seemed like we'd have someone in here by May. Circumstances for this person changed so they remained where they were at, but I had energetically started to open that room up. My work things in there were slowly getting moved to my actual work office and I had mentally started to compose the craigslist add that would bring the right person to live in our house.

Not only that, but I started to imagine the feeling of being relieved financially.  Though I have loved having the space I've had, I don't feel like I need it anymore. I've started to realize the richness of having less stuff. Less to clean, take care of, find time to use.  The more I get rid of, the more I see how I don't miss what I get rid of.

And then, just like that, it happened. Yesterday a friend of mine asked if I was still considering looking for someone else move in, she was in a situation that she needed to find a new place.  We were already getting together this morning anyways and so I had her come over to check the place out. By noon she had given me a rent check for this month and we made enough space in the room for her bed. I was able to get most of my stuff out of the room this afternoon. Though she will take a bit to move in completely, she is sleeping here tonight.

I am so happy. I feel her energy is great here. She is thankful to be here. Home is a happy place to be.