Introspection… an Underrated, yet Extremely Important Process

Upon completion of my “branding” process with the amazingly creative brand artist, John, I was overwhelmed with emotions I struggled to understand. Gratitude, joy, freedom, sadness. Why were the feelings so mixed… so bittersweet?

Had I developed a sense of codependency with him… my guide and teacher? Was I going to continue to rely on John to gently “nudge” me to stretch my beliefs, or was I going to venture out on my own, using the techniques John taught me, to continue growing my newly found skills?

Nine weeks of being vulnerable… sharing my personal stories, innermost feelings, vision for my blog, and overcoming deep seated fears. I’d grown to trust John, a person whose magical ways transformed my life like no other individual.

Usually, in the past, personal transformation took place after painful struggles in my life. This time, it was through working with someone, with such incredibly high vibrational energy, that my growth was taken to another level.

The idea for this blog was given to me the week before I met John. When my angels told me what I was going to do during the next chapter of my life, I was shocked… to say the least! WRITE? UGH! I wasn’t a writer… I’d spent too many years teaching the mechanics of writing to elementary age children...emerging writers. The last thing I wanted to do was write. For me, it seemed boring, mechanical, almost scripted. HOW was I going to write in an interesting way? A way that would capture my experiences and intrigue my readers to eagerly want to read more?

When John and I first started working together, my angels gave me a word to share with him as I was trying to describe how I felt working with him… I blurted it out of my mouth and felt like retracting it as quickly as it was spoken. “Enveloped”... what the HECK? WHY? What does that mean… I asked myself as I looked at him on ZOOM...embarrassed. Upon reflection, over the next couple of days, I was given the insight into its meaning. This word portrayed how I felt about the gift he was giving me. A feeling of being “enveloped” by his wings of comfort and support.

Now that the process of “Branding” is done I realize John was my nurturer, my comforter, my safe space where I could be vulnerable and not judged. He gently “nudged” me out of my comfort zone when I had to show him my face and speak to him on Zoom, when I had to share my ideas and emotional experiences with more than a few people on Zoom, when I had to record one of my heartfelt stories on my phone and send it to him, when I had to experience so many “firsts”, so many “scary firsts”. He lovingly guided me through these “firsts”...these ”scary, scary firsts”.

As I processed these feelings, upon completion of the “Branding” process, I realized, no longer was I the emerging “fledgling” hiding comfortably under John’s wings. I was now the “fledgling juvenile” about to experience a new world of more “firsts” that, because of the guidance from my friend, they were not longer going to be “scary firsts”... but exciting, exhilarating, and effortless, “firsts”.

So many times people are given direction from others, and learn while working with them, yet when the time together is over, they revert back to old, too familiar, and comfortable behaviors. What was I going to choose? Was I going to retreat back to my comfort zone or continue with my newly acquired skills?

I’ve decided I’m going to choose the direction my journey will take… evaluating every perceived “challenge” I encounter, to stretch my mindset and skill set. No longer will I return to mediocrity in my life... believing opportunities out of my comfort range were not something I wanted to experience. My new skills were uncovered and developed so I could continue, step by step, into the next chapter in my life.

John has given me the “wings” to take me to the next level in this incredible journey of transformation. Thank you, John, for your belief in me, and the vision I have for my blog and community. You truly are a magical, soulful, incredibly creative, “Brand Artist” and individual!

Blessings Embraced:

• Empowerment comes from support from others and belief in oneself

• Belief, support, and encouragement from others changes lives

Affirmation: I can overcome fears as I believe in myself.