Do you wish you could give yourself a little extra edge in life by having a magic wand? I say I have that wish, but, in reality, I prefer hard work and living in integrity.
Here’s a fun twist, though, it turns out they go hand in hand. In fact, sometimes I find it downright uncanny how a simple act of integrity restoration can lead to a serious magical twist. Note on a basic level how good you feel when you’ve awakened (and gotten out of bed) at the time you said you would, or when you arrive to work on time, or when you hand something in on which you’ve done your best, or when you’ve followed your intention to eat healthfully at a party, or when you’ve exercised or done your yoga in the morning. You feel good because you have acted in alignment with your ideals for yourself. That good feeling turns quickly into confidence, which then attracts positive results throughout your day. These are great, but sometimes the magical results are even more dramatic.
For example, a member of my staff (let’s call her Sonya) was having a terrible time a few weeks back. She was overwrought with emotions looking out at the days ahead of her. She had a family trip planned that completely didn’t fit her schedule and was based on a recurring “people pleasing” trait she was trying to tackle. Along those same lines, she had been selling out on her acting dream (to work harder for me!) and was catering to her boyfriend instead of telling him how she really felt. I am sure you’ve had a pile like this in the past. Then comes the inevitable straw that breaks the camel’s back, like a bad audition or a family interaction and suddenly life just seems miserable. The bad news is that, in the haze, you may think the problem is the straw (“that casting agent was just a bozo” or “that time with my family just made me sad”). Or you may think the problem is something totally over-arching (“something is wrong with me” or “I’ll never make it”). The good news is, it’s neither. It’s actually a matter of integrity.
Sonya wrote out the whole mess and we unpacked things pretty quickly. They boiled down to some basics:
– Cancel the trip, reschedule under better context.
– Have a difficult, spill-your-guts conversation with the boyfriend and stop being a victim. Apologize for jabs and ask for what you need, gracefully.
– Get back to your promises about singing, dancing and acting, and hold them as sacred.
Get a feel for how The Handel Method® could benefit you.
She accomplished this in short-order and within two hours of the coaching (sometimes suffering does help us act fast!). Here is the wildest thing; she was deciding to stop trying to please everyone else and turn the focus back to her dream, and as she was writing the email to cancel her trip she received a text message. The Producing Director of a new theatre, someone she’d been directed by in the past, had lost her lead in her show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, because of vocal health issues. She needed Sonya to step in for the dress rehearsal that same day and learn the role to perform THAT WEEKEND! Sonya called and wrote to all of us right away in amazement. Here is an excerpt:
I haven’t received an offer like that….ever. It was truly magical.
Here is my summary of my experience of the last 24 hours:
1. Tried to escape
2. Wallowed in my sorrow
3. Got some great coaching,
4. Committed to some integrity
5. Got my dream!!!THANK YOU!
I went to see Sonya in the play, and I am sorry to say, she was FANTASTIC! Sorry because I like her working her butt off for me and the truth is she belongs on Broadway. I am not telling you this story however to tout Sonya, or even tout the process of restoring integrity. I am telling you this story to get you out of your slump. I want you to map your situation onto Sonya’s right now and consider doing your brain dump of everything that isn’t working and pick it apart piece by piece to find the integrity gaps. (If you need help, talk with your coach or Schedule a 30 min Consultation to find out which coaching options may be right for you). The list will not be endless, I promise. It may however be scary, and that’s okay!
Life is happening right now, please do not miss it.
Much love always,
Laurie