As a business owner, coach, entrepreneur, or human being, it’s easy to get hugely wrapped up in the stress that we all inevitably experience. Maybe you’re trying to launch a program but nothing is going according to plan. Maybe you’ve planned a vacation with friends and then a random financial emergency blows your beach getaway funds. Maybe you’re wandering around life thinking, “So…will this get easier soon?”
I’ve definitely been there. I felt like everyone had it easier than me and I was the only one floundering. I spent a long time battling myself and my life, just waiting for the day when I would reach perfection and finally be the enlightened fairie that I was so obviously meant to be. No stress would bother me anymore. I’d have a thriving coaching practice and everything would be effortless!
Ahh, that sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Too bad it’s totally unrealistic.
One thing I’ve learned is that the Universe just keeps serving us lessons until we’re ready to accept them. That’s why we find ourselves continually stuck in ruts – because we refuse (or are unable to) acknowledge the ways in which we’re keeping ourselves small. Yes – we are responsible for how we show up in the world.
When things get hard, it’s not the universe being spiteful, it’s just a gift of growth asking to be unwrapped.
Playfulness is what brought me to this conclusion.
For a few months not too long ago, I was in between two major life moves and SO. CONFUSED. I sort of had an idea of what I wanted to do next, but I was afraid of taking the next step.
What I wanted didn’t make a ton of logical sense and I thought it might be safer to just not try – because failing, could be humiliating. Also, in the interim, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Every day was a series of struggles, resistance, and fighting with what is. Nothing felt good.
So I decided to embrace the idea of playfulness. I made the conscious choice that this interim space where I was feeling totally lost was given to me for a reason and that I was meant to enjoy the process of it all. I had FUN with it instead of trying to resist and fight against what was going on in the present.
Every time something went “wrong”, I imagined the universe laughing and telling me, “Everything is going exactly according to plan. This is perfect!”
This isn’t to say that everything felt amazing and happy all the time. But I was living in a place of trust rather than anger and confusion and defensiveness. Most importantly, this mindset helped me gain freedom – I was able to do what I wanted, knowing I’d be taken care of (instead of being fearful that I’d make the wrong choice and everything would end up horribly).
So how can you bring a little more playfulness into your life?
- Start making friends with the Universe. If you’re rolling your eyes because this is just way too “woo-woo”, stick with me. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I do believe it’s very powerful to trust that something out there is guiding us, or at the very least, that we were put on this earth to have fun.
- Think like a little kid. Be excited about what’s going on in your life, even if it’s not what you’d imagined (little kids don’t need big reasons to be excited). When things start to go “wrong”, remind yourself that there are big things in store for you; things way better than what you previously thought were possible.
- Meditate every now and then. Tell the universe that you’re open to receiving the awesome gifts that it’s waiting to release to you.
By doing all of this, you give yourself the gift of freedom. You get to make decisions without reserve, knowing that whatever happens will be exactly what you need – and how fun is that?!
What would it feel like for you to trust in the ‘bigger picture’? Does it sound scary? Unrealistic? Freeing? Sometimes we can feel a little of everything, but as long as we take the first jump, the universe is alerted that we’re giving all of this a shot. Let us know how it feels for you in the comments below!
xo,
Kyla
Photo by Azusa Takano
