Most entrepreneurs have ended up as entrepreneurs because they didn’t want to follow anyone else’s rules. They’ve probably broken a whole heap of rules along the way. Rules set by former bosses (you must sit there from 9 am till 5 pm), rules set by society (you must have a regular, stable income) and rules set by peers, colleagues & friends (work sucks, none of us like our jobs, just deal with it).
Mantras, crystals, meditation and more. It was a rad list, but it left me feeling … um…. not good enough. Because let’s be honest, we don’t always follow through with our best intentions. So I figured today I’d share with you two of my morning routines.
One is my rad morning routine. The shiny version. The one that I’m happy to tell you about. The one that sets me up for an awesome day, no matter what else is going on in my life.
The other is my sucky routine. The one I feel guilty about. The one I’m embarrassed to share. The one that is guaranteed for a not-so-stellar start to the day.
saw this photo of street art in Rio on a blog last week and it summed it up perfectly.
The moment I saw it, I smiled and agreed. Yes. Fear is a liar. Fear will make up stories in your head. Fear will stop you in your tracks. Fear would rather you shrink than grow.
This is my new mantra for those times when I feel like fear is running the show. It reminds me to look carefully at whatever it is that I’m fearful of and question it. What is it that I’m scared of? Is it even true?
Here’s what I know to be true. For most entrepreneurs, there are seasons of yes and seasons of no.
There are times when it feels absolutely right to say yes. Yes to new collaborations, to new projects, to new clients. Yes to opportunities that sound exciting & fresh. Yes to new ideas & new connections.
And during that time, work feels exciting, energetic and effervescent. It feels like someone has cranked up the dial on your business’s magnetism & new stuff is literally flying your way.
My first attempt went ok. I dropped the snorkel and tried to stay calm. Time felt as if it were going backwards, and after what seemed like forever (but was more like a minute), my brain kicked into overdrive. The voice in my head was getting louder and louder, more and more panicked. Telling myself that I needed to breathe …. right now. And in that moment, there was one single thought running through my head I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe.
Oh … yeah… this is what fear feels like.
Over the last couple of days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things we do that make us feel more like ourselves. It seems crazy that anyone would ever do anything that leaves them feeling less like themselves, but sadly, it’s way more common than you think.
Here’s the crazy thing. It happens a LOT in entrepreneurship. We get so caught up looking at what everyone else is doing and trying to keep up, that we can end up running a business that doesn’t feel like our own.
Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to speak at an event that aligns with so much of the work I’m doing. The Blue Mind Collective is a summit that speaks to the deep emotional connection we have with water and how the interplay directly impacts our lives.
I found myself surrounded by incredible people. Some of whom I’m blessed to have in my local tribe, and many who were on my ‘global tribe’ list. And here’s whats crazy…. by leaning into this whole tribe thing, for the long haul, I’ve witnessed a shift. People who were on my global tribe list are now moving to my local tribe list. People who I’ve followed on Twitter, whose books I have devoured, whose work has influenced mine profoundly, are becoming friends, mentors & collaboration buddies.
This is the meaning of tribe.
This crew, these friends, this family. All walking their own path. All figuring this shit out as they go along. But all having each other's backs. No matter what.
There is infinite power in these relationships.
It’s funny. I wrote about tribes exactly a month ago. Fresh off the back of an awesome speaking opportunity at Blue Mind. Riffing on the all amazing synchronicity that happens when you choose to surround yourself with the right people. Celebrating all the good stuff.
And then boom, 30 days later and the real value shows up. These moments, when you are covered in the metaphorical blood, sweat and (not so metaphorical) tears of entrepreneurship, when you understand what it means to have a tribe.
