On our Marketing as a Creative + Spiritual practice call last week, we talked about how awkward and embarrassing this work can be.

A few times over the years I have talked about feeling cringy about promoting myself and would get messages back from people telling me not to feel that way.

I know they all meant well, but that is just not helpful.

We feel how we feel! Pretending we don’t is a waste of energy.

Plus avoiding your feelings gives them a lot of power over you. Feeling your feelings, and processing your feelings GIVES YOU CLUES about how to get what you want.

So, we made space to feel awkward and embarrassed and found ways through it.

Then, last week, I got this idea to do a promotion for my 50th birthday.

Because this feels like a Big Deal kind of birthday, I wanted to ask for what I wanted: help spreading the word about the Creative Dream Incubator.

Which felt SO awkward and embarrassing.

So this is how I handled it: I gave myself loads of time to feel how I felt AND take little steps.

On Tuesday morning, I went out for coffee with the goal of writing a rough copy of what I wanted to say. And brainstorm ideas for an image to share with it.

I do not usually spend this much time on a single post/email. Because I felt embarrassed, I gave myself more time to work through the feelings and in so doing - I also gave myself more time to write the best post possible. It was a win/win.

So Tuesday morning after a few VERY AWKWARD writings, I ended up with good rough draft! And I got the idea to take a photo of myself in front of the flower garlands I was making to decorate for my birthday party, which felt exactly like what I was going for - celebratory.

Then I sat with it, and came back on Wednesday to update it, and read through it and notice how it landed in my body.

Did I feel ready to ask for help in such a public way? What would help me feel ready?

I was already feeling so much more ready to do it... and I still have three more days to get ready, emotionally, to post this thing.

This is how we do things we don’t feel ready for. We break it down into teeny steps and then PRACTICE THEM.

 

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