While I have been pretty quiet the past couple of months, there has been movement going on in the background around my business.
It all started in March when I took myself to the ER for heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and tightness in my chest. I was fine, at least physically. It wasn’t until I was lying awake in the middle of the night a few days later that the source of my symptoms became apparent to me.
Anxiety.
I should have known and yet I didn’t. That’s the way anxiety works (at least, for me). I don’t always recognize it in the moment. What I do recognize is the energy and effort my Chicken Little brain puts into resisting and pushing away the anxiety.
Once I acknowledged the anxiety and allowed it to just be there, letting it take up space, I was able to discern its wisdom.
The message was this:
I don’t want to do a business.
As surprising as this message was, I knew it was the truth because a sense of peace and freedom came over me. The next morning, as I sat with the message, the truth continued to unfold …
I don’t want to build a business.
I don’t want to run a business.
I don’t want to be a business.
This sounds more radical than it actually is. I find that’s often the case when my soul is trying to get its message across.
These truths answered the questions that surfaced after my trip to the ER about where I need some breathing room and what I need to let go of that’s been weighing me down.
The answer was my business.
I had been putting a lot of effort and energy into my business, doing all the things I thought I should or needed to do based on others’ advice. Without realizing it, the pressure to do my business someone else’s way was creating a lot of anxiety.
My anxiety reminded me that I need to do my business my way.
When I opened myself up to that truth, the way forward became clear and the pieces easily fell into place.
Although the heart of the work I do remains the same, I have made some changes to how I show up and how I offer my work that feel a lot more aligned with who I am.
Here’s what’s changed …
I’ve lowered the price of the Allowing Prayers card deck.
This applies to both the physical and digital decks. The physical card deck is now $18 (previously $35) and the digital deck (available on the Deckible app) is now $9.99 (previously $17.99).
Because I’ve significantly reduced the price, I am no longer offering quantity discounts. However, I am offering a discount for coaches, therapists, and healers who want to use the cards with their clients. (This is new!) I am still donating $1 to charity for every physical card deck sold.
Why did I drop the price? I assure you it’s not because I believed I had overpriced the card deck or have lost faith in their value. Quite the opposite. These cards are magical and powerful. That’s based on not just my own experience but also the experiences shared by others who have been using the cards.
I lowered the price because I know there are a lot more people who need these cards, and I wanted to make them more accessible. The money in my pocket doesn’t mean as much as the potential healing these cards can bring to people’s lives.
Let Go, Let Love Lead is now free.
Let Go, Let Love Lead was my first paid self-paced program offering. After three, the timing felt right to offer it for free.
You can sign up to receive the program on my home page.
I’ve moved my other free offerings, Out with the Old and the Daily Journaling Exercise. You’ll find them under Programs.
I’m accepting donations.
Most of the work I have done over the past several years has been offered free of charge—my blog, the podcast, and the DIY programs mentioned above. That feels good to me.
Now, I’m offering a way for those who have found value in my work to support it. With Buy Me a Coffee, people can make a donation in any amount that feels good to them (in $5 increments).
You can find my Buy Me a Coffee page here as well as in various places on my website.
No more coaching.
For quite a long time, the terms “coach” and “coaching” haven’t felt right for me. I don’t coach people one-on-one and haven’t since 2019. However, I stuck with calling myself a coach because, honestly, it was easy. Most people have an idea of what a coach is and does. Also, I could never figure out what to call what it is that I do … until recently.
I have landed on “midlife mentor” to describe the work I do. This feels truer to me, at least for now.
The funny thing is I’ve been a writer my entire life, both personally and professionally. I just have never called myself a writer. And, for the past several years, I’ve been mentoring women in navigating their midlife journeys through my writing (blog, podcast, etc.).
Finally, I have dropped “Coaching” from my business name and my business email address.
And now I rest
In true Manifestor fashion (if you’re familiar with Human Design), now that this creative urge around making changes to my business are complete, I’ll be taking a break.
I am going to give myself space to just be and to listen. Space to “let the goodness find me,” as my friend Cara said.
I’m also going to be tending to my body, specifically working to heal some adrenal dysfunction issues that are affecting the two chronic illnesses I live with—Hashimoto’s and Epstein Barr Virus.
Before I sign off, I want to say that while these changes seem like no big deal now, I had some moments of serious doubt and fear along the way. But every small step I took toward making these changes a reality gave me that same sense of peace and freedom.
Now that these changes are complete, the feeling of peace and freedom has only increased. This is how I know they are absolutely the right changes for me right now.
I'm curious …
What does truth feel like in your body?
What tells you that you’re moving in the right direction?
P.S. If you live with anxiety, I highly recommend The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul. The book gave me a much greater understanding and appreciation for my anxiety.