Styl’d 4 Success – What Organizing, Coordinating, Styling, and Emceeing An Event Taught Me About Business, People, & Potential

First off, I’d like to say thank you for your patience and consideration as I return from a hiatus; you’re all so compassionate and I love you for it. While I had hoped for much rest and relaxation over the holiday, I spent more time and energy trying to manage my time and energy, with all the holiday events, celebrations, and family engagements. I’m excited to be back, connecting with you all, and I’m looking forward into 2015 with excitement (more on that later).

I wrapped a fashion/style-based entrepreneurial networking event (that’s a mouthful) in December, and I needed some time to recover from all the time and energy and effort I had put into that. This experience pulled me right out of my comfort zone and taught me some valuable lessons, which I share with you below.

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“Bossed up.”

This empowering, liberating, and sexy term seems to be the best way to really sum up everything I learned – and in two words no less. The powerful “B”, the commanding “O”, the hissing “S”, and the punch-packed “ED”, the alluring “U”, and the smacking “P” – it’s truly perfection.

In November I sat down at a table with a team of 3 other young entrepreneurs – notebook full of ideas – and proposed an event to rival all previous events. As the ideas leapt from the pages and into my eyes, and left my lips, the white board was no longer a blank canvas but a vision for “Styl’d 4 Success” – an event with the intent of supporting a good cause, and showcasing local fashion and style, while empowering young entrepreneurs and professionals to look and feel their best; afterall, that is very much a part of what the It Just Got Reno brand is about.

I had surprised myself with the way I handled everything and articulated my vision, and I had apparently impressed everyone else, because they agreed to let me spearhead the project, and so the planning, coordinating, and team building began.

There’s something about working on a team and executing a vision that brings forth a lot of… colour. You begin to see the depth and complexity of yourself and of those involved in the creative process, and there’s beauty and value in the way these colours bleed together – complementing and clashing – a beautiful mess of sorts. The end result – a masterpiece to be reflected upon.

Sure, I had worked on fashion events before, but not in this capacity and with this many duties – I dove right out of my comfort zone and face first into uncertainty. See, you’re never really going to be ready, and confusion, concern, fear, and hesitation are all part of the journey. They’re not there to stop you, they’re convinced they’re protecting you, but that’s not always the case, which I quickly learned.

As I continue to swim deeper and deeper into the ocean that is the world of entrepreneurship, I learn more and more about myself, about people, and about what it means to “boss up”.

No failures, only lessons.

I’ve learned that when people reveal who they are the first time, you must believe them – this is neither good nor bad, it is simply a fact. I’ve learned not to “bleed” around “sharks” (I’m a bleeder, so this is particularly difficult). I’ve learned to trust my intuition and instinct – my heart, my soul, and my gut. I’ve learned the value of my intellectual property and the importance of protecting it. I’ve learned that asking for help is okay, and that it’s okay to not have all the answers. I’ve learned to embrace being powerful, and that it’s okay to express my power. I’ve learned to speak up and be honest and open about exactly what it is that I’m thinking and feeling, and to leave little to no room for ambiguity (when unnecessary). I’ve learned to take some things at face value. I’ve learned to plan, and plan, and plan again – every little detail matters.

I’ve learned that “Please,” “Thank You,” “Sorry,” “Love,” and “Light” are some of my favourite words. I’ve learned that due diligence is a must – dig deeper. I’ve learned that leadership, delegation, gratitude, and authenticity are an entrepreneurs best friends. I’ve learned that team work makes the dream work, and that team meetings, and clear, safe, and open lines of communication are essential. I’ve learned the importance of making sure that you “get yours”, because you better believe that everyone else is hustling to get theirs. I’ve learned that in business strength and toughness are required, but there’s still a place for love and light. I’ve learned that there’s a place for assertiveness, and that assertiveness does not make you an asshole – being an asshole makes you an asshole. I’ve learned to measure twice and cut once. I’ve learned the value of friendship and relationships, and that people really do show up for you when it matters most.

Most importantly, I’ve learned that in the thick of all of this, it’s important to remain grounded in your truth, and to remember who you are, what you value, and what you’re capable of.

It becomes very easy to get lost in the chaos that is life and business, and suddenly realize that somewhere along the way you fell out of touch with YOU and what YOU value in life. I once spoke of the value of existing like the tree – “affected by the wind, and my roots firmly planted in my foundation – love light, and liberation” – and I believe this metaphor is a beautiful visual for how we might begin to experience life.

Somewhere in the chaos of organizing, coordinating, managing, styling, and emceeing an event, and the technical difficulties that would ensue, I realized the extent of my potential, and how powerful I become when supported by passion, vision, love, light, and a team of amazing people to support myself and one another on the journey. Delegating became natural, and the natural-born leader arose – like a phoenix from the ashes.

Then it hit me: I had always been “bossed up” – I just needed to be reminded.

 

With Love, Light, Liberation, & Style,

 

What’s coming up for you as we kick-off the first month of 2015? How can I help you, or be of service?

Also, I’m eager to hear how 2014 was for all of you! Please do not hesitate to share, as you and your stories are nothing short of inspiring.

What would make 2015 a transformational year for you? Please share in the comments, on Facebook, or Tweet me!

 

Join the IJGR Tribe on Facebook: It Just Got Reno

Connect with me on Twitter: @MrRenoWinston

Hit me up on Instagram: @MrRenoWinston

 

"Reno, Creator of Styl'd 4 Success, with the Co-Founders of YES International @ Styl'd 4 Success Event
“Reno, Creator of Styl’d 4 Success, with the Co-Founders of YES International @ Styl’d 4 Success Event

 

YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
Reno, Founder & Creator @ It Just Got Reno - YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
Reno, Founder & Creator @ It Just Got Reno – YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
Reno, Founder & Creator @ It Just Got Reno - YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
Reno, Founder & Creator @ It Just Got Reno – YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
Reno, Founder & Creator @ It Just Got Reno - YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
Reno, Founder & Creator @ It Just Got Reno – YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl'd 4 Success
YES International & It Just Got Reno Present: Styl’d 4 Success

 

Giving Myself Permission To Rest, Relax, and Rejuvenate

It’s winter here, and I’m in rejuvenation mode.

Sleeping. Snacking. Juicing. Communing. Connecting. Relaxing. Reflecting.

There’s much to share, but, for now, I must take care… of myself.

Somehow, I’ve still managed to connect with those in need, and fill them up with some of what I have left, but now I must refill.

Moderation baby. Moderation.

I will return in a week or two, but I felt it necessary to keep you all in the loop, because my relationship with you is important to me.

I love you all, and I wish you all a happy holiday.

I will leave you with something I recently shared with the world, in hopes that we might all have a more conscious Christmas:

We Are Living On This Planet

Question: What favours are we doing the youth and our children by teaching them to value consumerism over consciousness? Where’s the lesson in going broke for Christmas presents, so that you can keep up with “tradition” and “The Jones’s”? Why do you HAVE to buy Christmas gifts? Why do you HAVE to be broke, stressed, and up to your ears in debt come January? I don’t believe you do.

Ask yourself where these ideas and beliefs about what Christmas come from…

We lead by example, and people are watching – our children and our youth are watching – and it’s likely they will follow suit. I know we have the best intentions, but intentions are nothing without actions that support them.

This year, give the gift of consciousness.

With Love, Light, and Liberation,

Your friend, your brother, your soul sibling – Reno

‪#‎SleepNoMore‬

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Man Is…

Credit: Unsplash
Credit: Unsplash

I look at children and I see innocence and potential.

We are born pure, but into a world of impurity. A newborn boy, at his core, is born with the same potential and capacity for compassion, love, grace, and greatness that each and every one of us – male or female – is born with. At his core, a newborn boy is love and intuition, but that boy will quickly – without compassion or consideration – be stripped of those Divine traits and broken down and reduced and shaped into the “man” we would have him be; reduced to the kind of “man” we ourselves have been reduced to…

A man seemingly void of intuition, lacking compassion, repressing any pure emotion that is deemed weak, but would serve a man’s heart and soul and life in a transformational way. A man who is taught to “man up,” to “shake it off,” to “quit actin like a little bitch,” and to “don’t ask/don’t tell.” A man who will be denied the kind of love he is worthy and deserving of… A man who will deny YOU the kind of love you are worthy and deserving of.

Yet, it is and is not his fault, for boy and man are born into a world where strength means shutting up, shutting down, and shutting out.

This is what we teach our men, and then we wonder and question why they interact with others and with life the way they do.

I would have you close your eyes. I would then have you imagine swallowing poison and allowing that poison to sit and destroy your insides for just one day. I would imagine that your insides would spoil and your outsides would reflect such destruction. This scenario, this poisonous image, is a metaphor for the kind of LIFE we would have our men live.

They go on to lead as tyrants, fight with fury, deny communication and compassion, love callously, engage with anger, compete with hubris; all in the name of being men while fighting to fit and to find a means to express the storm that brews within them – a release for the poison that festers. They gather in rooms and praise acts of aggression and violence. They speak and sing and rap lyrics that refer to women as objects – of sex and lust and mistrust – a reference void of love, compassion, or connection. This is not what man is, and man knows this at his core.

Man is strong and open, wise and wonder-full, courageous and compassionate.

Man leads and man loves.

Man is intuitive and mighty.

Man is artistic and expressive.

Man fights to protect.

Man earns and values respect, and man is respected.

Man is humble and deserving.

Man is light and love.

 

Man is love. Man is loved.

 

With Love, Light, & Liberation,

Permission – Why You’re Waiting For It, Where To Find It, & Why You Don’t F*cking Need It

Credit: Unsplash
Credit: Unsplash

 

“Permission”

I remember hearing that word throughout my childhood and youth. Kinda makes me cringe…

I was on the phone with my mom one afternoon when she told me how exhausted she was, and that she felt tired and overwhelmed with all that she had to do, but all she wanted was to sleep. I asked her why she didn’t put everything aside and get some rest, and then I assured her there was no harm in doing so, and helped her justify that fact, to which she replied “Isn’t it funny that I had to call my son and get his permission to take a nap.” Funny, sure, but the truth is that not just my mother, but many of us, are waiting for someone to give us permission to do what we already know we’re capable of doing.

Permission…

It feels heavy, but that probably has less to do with the word and more to do with the fact that permission slips were the bane of my existence; it meant we’d be frantically scurrying till the last minute to find the dough so I could join the other kids, but my parents always came through. Not to mention, I’ve always kinda had an issue with authority; “why” was my favorite word, and I frequently deemed it necessary to practice my right to “why”, and to challenge the norm. Many school days were spent in the hallway, day dreaming as the judging eyes passed the self-proclaimed rebel with a cause. But, I digress.

It seems we’re all kinda standing around, waiting for the next motivational message to feed the fire in our belly and potentially set us free – finally. We’re waiting for the right moment. We’re waiting for assurance. We’re waiting for a push from a parent or a friend. We’re waiting a book to fall off a shelf. We’re waiting for an omen, or a sign. We’re waiting for the perfect sentence, crafted in the perfect way, from the mind of that perfect person. But, what if the person you’re waiting on to liberate you isn’t who you think it is? What if you’re the person you’re waiting for. “But why would I be waiting for me?” BINGO! My thoughts exactly.

It’s liberation you crave, not permission. You’ve been duped, and it all started the moment you were told you were to be seen and not heard. The moment you were told to raise your hand if you had a question or a potently-powerful truth you wished to express. The moment you had to ask to use the restroom. The moment you required permission to cross the road. The moment you required permission to stay home and heal. These are the moments that cultivated and nourished your perceived need for permission. Kinda fucked up, isn’t it? Agreed.

So what do we do about it!?

Your inner child is waiting for you; waiting to be set free.

Permission – the duct tape and rope that bind your inner child; a self-induced and unnecessary grounding.

Consider this your permission slip – your call to action.

The coast is clear.

The permission is yours to give yourself. Blow a goodbye kiss to the teachers, parents, authorities telling you what to do or wear or say – it’s YOUR life. Respectfully so.

That blog you’ve been waiting for someone to give you permission to create. PRESTO! Permission granted!

That book or blog post you’ve been waiting for permission to write. That trip you’ve been waiting for permission to take. That dead-end job you’ve been waiting for permission to quit. The energy-sucking friend or partner you’ve been waiting for permission to kick to the curb. That business idea you’ve been waiting for permission to put into action. That dream job you’ve been waiting for permission to apply for. That “ME” day you’ve been dying for permission to have. The truth and the message you’ve been waiting for permission to speak, and share, and express. Whatever it is, just do it, and do it with PASSION baby!

In life, more often than not, we regret the things we didn’t do more than the things we did do. From here on in, every morning when you wake up, I want you to say to yourself “I give myself permission to want what I want, feel what I feel, and do what I do, as long as it is serves me, and may allow me to serve others.” You might not mean it right away, but eventually you will begin to believe what you are saying, and you will start to embody such truths. Practice this every day for the next 21 days, and watch your world change right before your eyes.

The silver lining. When you give yourself permission, people around you love that shit, and when they’re watching you, they follow suit. That makes you a leader! The leader you were waiting on to hand you the permission slip you didn’t need. Kinda cool eh!?

The days of permission and permission slips are long gone. Last time I checked, you paid your bills, you had your own cell phone, your own home, and your own bank account. You’re a big kid now.

It’s time soul sibling. Set ‘er free! Let ‘er rip and roar and soar!

 

Need some help getting started!? Head over to my “Work With Me” page, connect with me via email, and we’ll setup a Skype call.

For more It Just Got Reno goodness, head over to the Facebook Page and click “Like” to receive updates and inspirational musings. I also invite you to join me on Twitter, where I share some of my most candid thoughts and lessons.

 

With Love, Light, & Liberation,

Intention, The Law of Attraction, & What Big City Life Taught Me About Spirituality

Credit: Unsplash
Credit: Unsplash

 

Manifestation. The Law of Attraction. The Secret.

Upon reflection I realize that I’ve been “unknowingly” applying these practices and laws for as long as I can remember. I use the term “unknowingly” very loosely, because I believe in the innate wisdom of the soul.

One of my most memorable experiences with The Law of Attraction happened a couple of years ago, but I didn’t realize what I had fulfilled until after the fact.

It was the first day of class, and we all sat around the perimeter, eyeing each other up and making judgements about who we’d likely become close with, and who might be our competition. The program coordinators had us go around the classroom and share our intentions and expectations during and following the program. Many seemed certain, and some hadn’t a clue, and finally there was me. I ambitiously and matter-of-factly stated “I’m going to finish the program and secure an internship with a fashion PR company and move to Toronto.” I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, but it sounded cool and I believed it was possible.

As the months went on, I imagine the seed of that intention sat, untouched, until Spring – how fitting.

It was time to begin addressing our internships, as we would soon begin applying to businesses and playing an active role in determining our futures. Again, I stated that I would not be applying locally, which would mean that I would not have the help of the internship coordinator, and that I would take it upon myself to coordinate the process. I’m quite positive that everyone felt this was a bold move on my part, and I could feel the energy shift when I would explain my decision to some of my peers, but that didn’t stop me from treading on.

I stumbled upon an ad for an internship position with a start-up in Toronto, Ontario, and I applied for the position. To demonstrate my abilities, I was asked to put together a document for a potential client of the company, and, despite my anxiety around my experience, I completed it with flying colours, and I was offered the position. Because my program didn’t end until September, and I was asked to start much sooner, I had to bravely ask if it were possible that a spot be left open for me until then, and I would continue to help from home in the meantime, to which I was accommodated.

It all seemed very surreal, and I still didn’t fully comprehend the fact that in just several short months I might be on an airplane to Toronto to fulfill my dreams of thriving in the big city.

To put things into perspective for you, I was barely managing on the money I had from my student loan, and I was working part-time, so I was really fuckin’ winging it, but I was a man with a plan and I had already gotten a taste, so I wasn’t about to give up.

I recall having a deep conversation with my uncle where he reasoned with me to make sure that I was in the right frame of mind about the move. He assured me that at this point I really had nothing to lose, because I could go out there, and even if I came back, I’d be no further behind than I was when I left, and that this was probably the perfect time in my life to make such a bold decision.

As summer flew by and quickly came to an end, I began packing my things, and giving many of them away. My father had agreed to let me move in with him and stay on his couch until I was settled into the city, so it was just me, $200, my backpack, and my suitcase. I can still remember the tides of emotions that rise in and out during the week leading up to my departure. There were certainly moments where I thought it impossible for me to leave my beloved home behind, but this was something I had to do for me, and a force was pulling me East.

True to form, I rushed to the airport that evening, and hugged my best friend goodbye. You could see the sadness in his skin, and feel it in his vibration. It was almost as if the city itself was sad to see me leave, and I too, its biggest cheerleader, was sad to leave it. Two of my friends had met me at the airport to see me off, and I couldn’t have felt more loved. I boarded the plane, and I was on my way…

Baseball diamond after baseball diamond, and so many lights. We were approaching the big city, and I was still in shock. I hadn’t found anyone to pick me up from the airport, so I was convinced I would be taking a cab or some other form of public transportation. Luckily, my sister had made arrangements with my friend to come and pick me up. I hadn’t seen her in YEARS, and yet it felt like only yesterday I had seen her. I arrived at my dad’s, where the three of us shared a space – ambitious, I know. I barely settled in, chatted with them, and went to bed.

The next morning was painful. As I write, I can vividly recall the sadness and depression I was feeling. I wanted to pull the blankets over my head and sleep forever. I couldn’t help but wonder if moving there had been a huge mistake. “Nope. You didn’t come here for this. It’s time to get up and get on with the day.” So I did.

The weeks and months to come were interesting. I dove deep, face first into my spirituality, and began an internal journey that nobody would’ve imagined. I began writing more frequently and sharing the many miracles and insights of my experience with those back home. In hindsight, I realize this was just one of many heroes journeys within one vast heroes journey. I was living out “The Alchemist” (if you haven’t read it, you must).

I can recall stepping out of my comfort zone to anxiously approach a familiar face; a model whose career I had followed on YouTube for years. I quickly became friends with her and her dear friend Jules, and before I knew it we were sitting around a table having wine and talking as if we’d known each other for ages. My hip-hop dance teacher from years ago would later walk in; even more shocking because I’m not from Toronto, and for me to run into two familiar faces within an hour seems unheard of. Miraculous.

While my internship had started off questionable, but tolerable, because I was impressionable and open to learning, I had quickly realized that my values would not fit into what seemed to be a more cut-throat environment than I was comfortable being a part of. I decided it was time to plan an out, while honouring my commitment to the tasks at hand.

Through an email interaction with a woman who would offer me an internship opportunity and then later suggest that I might be more interested in interning with a friend of hers, I would find myself connecting with some of the fashion industry’s biggest players, and participating in the coordination of fashion events. Things seemed to continue unfolding in ways I couldn’t fully comprehend.

Frequently checking my inbox to see if any opportunities had come up, I received an email from one of Toronto’s top PR companies inviting me to come in for an interview. I couldn’t believe it. I threw myself into learning the ins and outs of the company and its staff. I remember sitting down in my interview, and later hearing how shocked the interviewer was that I had seen and done so much, and met so many people in that city in such a short time. I was sure I had nailed it, and what would come would seal the deal.

A friend of mine very nonchalantly invited me to an event, and suggested that I dress up. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was excited. We met outside a large building, where security and doormen awaited guests. As we entered the building, I realized this wasn’t just any event. We were asked for our names, and greeted with champagne. I looked across the room and saw a familiar face. It was the man who had interviewed me days ago. The PR company he worked for, and I had interviewed at, was handling the event. He was shocked to see me there. “You sure do get around don’t ya,” he said jokingly. Believe me, I was as surprised as he was. That night I would rub shoulders with many of the who’s who of the local fashion, entertainment, and media industries. I felt like a fish out of water, but you couldn’t tell by looking at me. People seemed to love the glimmer in my eyes, and the naivete and light I exuded.

Spirituality became a major part of my life as events continued to unfold, and I continued to learn more and more about myself. Never had I been surrounded by so many people and felt so alone. But, it did me good. I found inspiration in moments of solitude, and I spent much of my time in meditation, contemplation, prayer, and deep thought. An inward journey that ignited a blazing fire within me. The phoenix hath risen.

Though it came as a surprise to many, considering my success in the big city, it became more and more clear that it wasn’t a place I’d want to plant roots, though I’d certainly want to visit again and again. Two short months into the experience, I would make a bold decision that would change my life in ways I would have never imagined. I decided to return home.

Intuition and instinct have guided me much of my life, and I’ve trusted my soul to guide me most times, which to some may seem fickle, but to those who understand me, it makes perfect sense.

Had I not returned home, much of what has come to be might not be so. I’ve now made much of my life about my relationship with myself, with my soul, with God, and with people. Transformation – through inspiration, motivation, and information – has become a gift I have recognized within myself, and I’ve shared it with others. I’ve become a sort of healer and mentor and teacher – my life being the class.

It’s interesting that I sit here and write this, when just a year ago today, I was packing up to return home in honour of instinct and intuition. People would suggest that I might be making a mistake, or that I hadn’t given it enough time and thought, but they would still support me.

I was sure that I was making the right decision, and my soul was singing at the simple thought of returning home. I remember the moment I arrived and jumped off the plane; I was lit up from the inside-out; a feeling I would come to experience more and more. Call it coincidence or fate, but that very feeling of inside-out illumination has become much of my purpose in life – a lesson I had to leave home and return in order to learn. And here were are today.

Plant a seed of intention. Nourish it with consciousness and action. Watch it grow. You will reap what you sow.

This is the power of intention and The Law of Attraction.

 

With Love & Light,

You’re Moments From A Miracle & 30-Days From Your Wildest Dreams

Credit: Unsplashed
Credit: Unsplashed

I’m not enough.

I’m not good enough.

I don’t know enough.

I’m not ready.

What if I fail?

What will they say?

What will they think?

One more book.

One more course.

One more webinar.

One more workshop.

One more day.

One more week.

One more year.

*Sigh*

How did you arrive in this place?

Heavy.

Spinning.

Gasping.

Flailing.

Stuck.

Shackled by the very thing you believe will set you free.

There’s hope.

But you must lean in.

You must lean and lean and lean deeper; all the way into YOU.

Take action.

Reflect.

Apply.

Embody.

Repeat.

Do. Pause. Be.

I’ve been on a  conscious, much-desired, and much-required hiatus. 30-day information cleanse. 3-month coaching program. Post-treatment communion with my mother. Familial rejuvenation and repair. Divine appointments and agreements with those desiring my personal brand of inside-out transformation. A miraculous calling to write a book that could serve to elevate us all. If you haven’t taken time to restore, replenish, and renovate this year, I encourage you to do so – it’s absolutely uncomfortable, insightful, belief shattering, liberating, and blissful – if you have the balls, or lady-balls, to hang in there long enough and commit to self-love.

I sit here and write, a changed man. A bold and necessary statement. I committed to the journey, wanting to turn back at times, and I’ve broken through and transcended many of the walls and ceilings that would have me play small. I truly understand what it means to love oneself, trust oneself, and lean into oneself.

The moment I decided to remove the crutches of motivation and personal development, and stand on my own two feet, it became clear that I already possessed all the makings of an amazing and successful human and spiritual being. There is a place for personal development, otherwise I would not be who I am or do what I do, but when it becomes more “can’t function without it” and less “dig it and do it”, you may find yourself less liberated and independent than you may think – “It’s personal development, it must be doing more good than harm.” Not always true. Moderation baby. Mod-er-ation.

Delete. Unsubscribe. Delete. Unsubscribe. Delete. Every email. Every blog. All of it, for 30-days. Didn’t need it. Thought I did. But, after 30 days, I brought some of it back, because it serves me, and I can handle it now – I respect it. It wasn’t so much about getting rid of it all. Information for me kinda became like an addiction to food. I’d consume and consume and consume, as if there would soon be no more; hardly allowing it to digest or using it for fuel. I realize telling you this could be career suicide, but I believe in service and in you, and in myself, so much that I’ve made it my business to be genuine and transparent – we’re building a relationship here.

More love. More light. More bliss. More me.

Not even 30 days in, it was as if I could do anything. Scratch that; I COULD do anything. Scratch that; I CAN do anything. I now look to those who I came to adore and follow as inspirational muses and mentors and peers who I will someday join at “the top”, or whatever we’re calling it these days. For now, I’m exactly who I need to be, I’m exactly where I need to be, and I couldn’t be happier.

What’s holding you back? What’s keeping you shackled and stuck? What stories are you still telling yourself? What’s dying to be dug up, seen, heard, expressed, and released?

Would you like some help with that? You, the people, are my purpose.

It’s time to get honest. If I can do it, believe me, you can get ‘er fucking done. As sure as you are sitting here reading this, you have the chutzpah, zest, balls, pizazz, and all that other innate goodness that’s required to be your best, boldest, and baddest self.

With Love & Light,