I have two questions for you.
- What do you most crave?
- What if what the world needs most is for you to do that?
Twelve years ago, the cravings of my heart became really loud and insistent. I was living a life of “service,” doing my best to give as much as I could, as often as I could, as well as I could, to communities and causes I loved.
Until I had nothing left to give.
With the best of intentions, I had worked myself into full-blown depletion.
My body was telling me in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that something had to change. Now.
In response to the pain of my body’s messages, I started going to an amazing massage therapist and intuitive healer.
In the quiet of those first sessions, probably after shedding some tears of exhaustion and the wounding that all too often happens in the course of mission-driven work, I let myself express what I truly craved.
More than anything, I craved OASIS. I craved rest. I craved quiet time for myself, by myself. I wanted to sit in stillness beside the river. For as long as I wanted.
I remember my massage therapist asking me this life-changing question:
“What if what the world needs most is for Katie to sit by the river?”
Until I had nothing left to give.
With the best of intentions, I had worked myself into full-blown depletion.
My body was telling me in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that something had to change. Now.
In response to the pain of my body’s messages, I started going to an amazing massage therapist and intuitive healer.
In the quiet of those first sessions, probably after shedding some tears of exhaustion and the wounding that all too often happens in the course of mission-driven work, I let myself express what I truly craved.
More than anything, I craved OASIS. I craved rest. I craved quiet time for myself, by myself. I wanted to sit in stillness beside the river. For as long as I wanted.
I remember my massage therapist asking me this life-changing question:
“What if what the world needs most is for Katie to sit by the river?”
WHAAAT??? How could that be? What does that do for anyone?
And yet, at some cellular level, I began to trust the wisdom of that craving.
I began to prioritize giving myself moments and days of oasis. I took time to sit by the river. I found my spirit reawakening. My creativity reawakening. My truth and my voice reawakening. My body healing. And as I came back to life, I began to bring moments of oasis and soulful reflection into my work with communities.
Over the course of time, that led me to the work that I do now. My coaching circle recently told me, “Katie you not only give people a place of oasis. You ARE oasis.”
It turns out that my massage therapist was right.
What the world needed most from me was for me to sit by the river.
In giving myself the gift of oasis, I healed. I could become an oasis for the people I am here to serve. And I teach them to do that for themselves. So that THEY can tap into the wisdom of their deepest craving. So that they can free themselves to do what it is that the world needs from them most.
And yet, at some cellular level, I began to trust the wisdom of that craving.
I began to prioritize giving myself moments and days of oasis. I took time to sit by the river. I found my spirit reawakening. My creativity reawakening. My truth and my voice reawakening. My body healing. And as I came back to life, I began to bring moments of oasis and soulful reflection into my work with communities.
Over the course of time, that led me to the work that I do now. My coaching circle recently told me, “Katie you not only give people a place of oasis. You ARE oasis.”
It turns out that my massage therapist was right.
What the world needed most from me was for me to sit by the river.
In giving myself the gift of oasis, I healed. I could become an oasis for the people I am here to serve. And I teach them to do that for themselves. So that THEY can tap into the wisdom of their deepest craving. So that they can free themselves to do what it is that the world needs from them most.
Really, these two questions are at the heart of my coaching practice.
First, I help clients uncover what it is that they truly crave.
And then we clear away the questions and guilt and accusations of selfishness that their inner mean girl or boy throws at them, so that with peace and trust, they can answer Question #2: What if what the world needs most is for me to do ______________?
Even if it doesn’t make sense.
Even if it looks “selfish.”
Even if you can’t see in practical terms how it could possibly be helpful to anyone but you. Right now.
(Listen--If you’re scared that what you truly crave isn’t serious enough or weighty enough, you must listen to this podcast from one of my all time favorite people, Elizabeth Gilbert:
http://maximumfun.org/magic-lessons/magic-lessons-ep-201-you-have-screaming-not-calling-featuring-sarah-jones)
The most powerful thing my clients and I do together is come into the oasis of stillness and renewal, where we listen to and honor what their hearts need to say.
So that they can be happy. So that they can live the life they crave. And so that they can do the work that is most naturally, joyfully theirs to do. Because coincidentally, that is what the world needs most from them.
For me it is to be oasis for myself and for the people I get to work with.
For you it may be something else.
Whatever it is, what if you trusted that there is wisdom in what you desire?
First, I help clients uncover what it is that they truly crave.
And then we clear away the questions and guilt and accusations of selfishness that their inner mean girl or boy throws at them, so that with peace and trust, they can answer Question #2: What if what the world needs most is for me to do ______________?
Even if it doesn’t make sense.
Even if it looks “selfish.”
Even if you can’t see in practical terms how it could possibly be helpful to anyone but you. Right now.
(Listen--If you’re scared that what you truly crave isn’t serious enough or weighty enough, you must listen to this podcast from one of my all time favorite people, Elizabeth Gilbert:
http://maximumfun.org/magic-lessons/magic-lessons-ep-201-you-have-screaming-not-calling-featuring-sarah-jones)
The most powerful thing my clients and I do together is come into the oasis of stillness and renewal, where we listen to and honor what their hearts need to say.
So that they can be happy. So that they can live the life they crave. And so that they can do the work that is most naturally, joyfully theirs to do. Because coincidentally, that is what the world needs most from them.
For me it is to be oasis for myself and for the people I get to work with.
For you it may be something else.
Whatever it is, what if you trusted that there is wisdom in what you desire?
So I'm going to ask you these questions again:
xoxo,
- What do you most crave at this moment in your life?
- What if what the world needs most is for you to say, “Yes?”
xoxo,
P.S. If you need help uncovering what it is you crave most, then work with me, Braveheart. It is in there. It is always in there. But you may need help clearing away what keeps you from seeing it. And that is one of the things I do best (because it makes me happy.)
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