Is it supposed to be this hard?
I remember asking myself this question in 2012. I was ALMOST to multiple six figures in my business. And I was worried/working hard all of the time.
I attended an event where the host talked about her easeful lifestyle and what she was describing was a totally different reality than my own. I wanted what she had, or at least was describing.
When I asked my mentor at the time how to create a more easeful and peaceful life and business, she told me that it didn’t exist. If I wanted to continue to grow my business, I would have to work harder.
I believed her. I didn’t want to throw away everything I had created. So I worked harder. And I hated it.
I didn’t create more success. The results the formulas promised escaped me e very single time so I thought there must be something wrong with me. In order to create my life this way it required me to ignore my intuition. And to ignore my body. And ignore most of my relationships because there just wasn’t any time for that stuff.
I had created a monster. One that did NOT make me happy. I started resenting my business.
So I asked the question again only with more accountability and more willingness to listen to my own truth.
“Is it supposed to be this hard?”
And that was when I realized I didn’t want “it” that bad. The multiple six figures, hiring more team, all of the things I was told I was supposed to do. I didn’t want it if it meant more of the hustle.
My soul answered the question like this:
“It can be easier, but you’ll have to let go of everyone around you being more right and more worthy than you think you are.”
What I desired was more ease. More magic. More fun. More memories that I would be joyful about, instead of looking at them with heartache.
That meant no more sacrificing my health or relationships (it took me a couple more years to finally align my health with my desires but I got there).
This decision meant I had to take on my truth and stop listening to other people’s truth at the expense of my own. This doesn’t meant to stop listening to others, but it couldn’t replace my own voice or my own truth.
I had to believe myself more than others, even the uber successful people who had created the vision that I was telling myself I wanted.
I had to CHOOSE more ease.
I had 30+ years of experience and proof of hard, work hard, struggle, sacrifice…as the way to DO life.
But that voice inside me said “I wonder if I can create more joy by being joyful, instead of experiencing the contrast?”
“I wonder,” turned into actually making my life an experiment of more ease and joy. What’s the worst that could happen? I had already dug myself out of debt and being broke so I knew I could do it again.
I couldn’t imagine the rest of my life with the constant hustle so I decided to go for it.
I stopped doing hard things that made me miserable. Don’t mistake this for lack of effort, I’m talking about the things you here that you are “supposed” to do and your whole body and soul feels exhausted before you even start taking the action.
The kind of hard that robs your joy. And your self trust.
THAT kind of hard.
If you commit to a life and business of more ease and magic, there will be times you work your @$$ off. You may even be tired. And that is the exception, not your normal.
Even during phases like that, you are tapped into a bigger energy that fuels you instead of worries you to your core.
There is an excitement in those “work hard” phases and it’s FUN. Yes, fun. Is your soul ready for more of that in your business and money? (Mine was too.)
This path is not for folks who want to be told what to do every step of the way and to blame others or their environment for their results.
This path is for people who are tired of being told what to do and if they want to do something different then there must be something wrong with them.
Where do you start on this path of more ease and joy?
1. Ask yourself honestly where you have to silence your own vision or self trust in order to follow the leader.
Be willing to see your truth.
2. Ask more questions.
Questions are more expansive and will lead you to more truth. Ask questions like:
What is the easiest thing I can do in my business this week and have it grow ten-fold?
What is the easiest way to market my business and have my ideal clients find me and be inspired to take action to work with me?
What is the easiest way my business wants to receive money this month?
What happens when you ask these questions is the energy that is the answer to that question is pulled toward you , and you are pulled toward the answer.
Your only job with these questions is to LISTEN and when you get the inspiration of the action to take, then DO it.
3. Be wiling to have people judge you for choosing out of struggle and INTO a life of more magic.
When you choose easy, people around you who have made their purpose about their proven formulas and systems will be challenged because their way isn’t for everyone. Instead of looking at their way as something that can shift, it might be easier for them to make you wrong for choosing what you are choosing. Get it?
So if you get resistance from people that you are crazy and/or making a mistake, are you willing to accept that? Are you willing to totally be responsible for your choices? Are you willing to choose YOU?
When you take this path with nothing to prove, you will become less susceptible to being hurt by other people’s judgments.
(Hint: your marketing and money get a helluva lost easier and WAY more fun when you start living from this path of joy, ease, magic, and purpose. EnJOY the journey. It will be an epic adventure.)