Stepping Out

Today I sent an email to someone whom I've never met but have felt compelled to contact for the past several months. She is the owner of a center that provides alternative healing treatments, energy work and spiritual workshops. The center itself is about a mile from my house and I've thought many times that perhaps I should inquire about working there in some capacity, though namely in teaching workshops and practicing reiki.

While I have practiced reiki for almost 7 years, I have never done so on a full time basis. I've always had a day job and taken clients on the side. The same has been true of my life coaching sessions. I managed to work many of my workshop ideas into curriculum for my day job at a nonprofit, but I left that outlet behind in Phoenix several months ago.

Since moving to Chicago I have taken on some consulting, some teaching and childcare but it's always been in the back of my mind that now is a good time to bring the reiki, life coaching and spiritual teaching into the spotlight of my career instead of just a fulfilling side project.

This SCARES me. A LOT.

It's not that I doubt my reiki ability or life coaching skills. I know that I am good at these things. It's the faith (and business plan!!) required to make these my only source of employment that makes me want to just go submit an application to the nearest Starbucks and hide for the rest of eternity. Note: There is absolutely nothing wrong with working at Starbucks, it just isn't my calling and I know it.

Thanks to a new friend via the world of blogging, Lisa Friedt (please stop by her blog A Pocket Full of Rocks, it's really quite inspiring and awesome) I've decided to sign up for a 30 day bravery challenge that starts August 1st. It is my intention to use those 30 days of support, motivation and accountability to begin to really establish a healing practice in Chicago.

Since the challenge doesn't start for another week, my temptation this morning was to ignore the voice in my heart telling me to contact the center's director. "I can do it August first," I reasoned. I've been through this rodeo enough times to know that such procrastination would just be faithless and invalidating to my spirit. I immediately drew up an email, despite the voice saying "This woman doesn't have time for you. She runs a center and healers like you are a dime a dozen. Why are you bothering someone who doesn't even know you exist?"

In this moment, (keep in mind, I've already sent the email, but this thought Just came to me) I've realized that the fact that this woman doesn't even know that I exist is exactly the problem. I have something to say/contribute. I'm not just another healer, I'm the exact right healer/teacher to work with whoever the Universe leads my way. I don't know who those people will be yet and I don't know if this center is where I'm supposed to end up, but I do know that I wouldn't be doing anyone (least of all me) any good by hiding out in my apartment, searching job postings, when I know exactly what I want to do and just need to get it done.

So, this is a moment where I pat myself on the back. I'm nowhere near done with this effort but I have taken the single most important step. With each additional one I take it can only get easier right? #Momentum!