I remember the first time I offered a free tele-seminar call, where I announced a new online Master Coaching program. My vision was clear and powerful: people would listen to the call, get as excited about the content as I am, feel incredibly inspired and deliriously motivated and the class would fill within the first week.
But that didn’t happen.
Sure, people listened to the call. But not a single person signed up for the program.
And I was devastated.
How could I put so much effort and love into a thing and not have it turn out the way I expected?
I wallowed for a few days in the disappointment. I knew I did a good job. I knew I was offering an amazing program. (Fortunately, I never went down the self-deprecating path telling myself that the tele-seminar sucked, or that I wasn’t a good coach.)
But I did wonder if I should just give up on the whole Spark the Heart thing and focus all of my efforts and attentions on my Mac training, since that’s where more of my success happens.
And then I talked with friends. I shared my bruised heart with my coach. And I came back to remembering that nothing is ever all or nothing.
I remembered that it is a gift that I have two very different businesses that bring my joy and allow me to serve others. I remembered that it is precisely the success of my Mac training that offers me the opportunity to also grow this new and passionate other business.
And, like everything, it will take time.
When things don’t go the way we hope, it’s OK to feel disappointment. It’s OK to retreat for a bit. In fact, it’s a wonderful thing to step aside for a while so you can regain some perspective.
When you step back from the disappointment, you give your ego a chance to heal.
And then you’re able to ask yourself bigger questions without judgment, like:
What did work?
What could I do differently?
How important is this?
Is there a bigger clue here for me?
This past month I announced a new Virtual Living Room Ladies Coaching Circle. I was so excited to gather another intimate group and do some amazing exploring and growing together. But not a single person signed up.
I was certainly disappointed.
But I have accepted that this isn’t the time for that kind of work.
And so, once again, I am stepping back to see what’s working and how best I can serve the people I work with. And I am letting go of expectations and opening to a bigger vision of what I am here to be and do.
I’d love to hear your comments. Share them by clicking the Comments below.
As a reader and a friend of many years, I want to tell you that you are an amazing person.I don’t read anyones blog except yours and Christine Kane’s. You say so much that makes sense and makes me think hard about me, my life path, and where I am. It’s a lot to take in. That’s why noone broke the door down the 1st week after your call. As you said, “it takes time”. So, don’t worry you will have a big feast after this short famine because people are percolating right now. Thanks to you I’m making progress in the regret dep’t and I’ve cut my pain medication by 1/2. A clearer and more positive attitude has come from interacting with you.
Thank you so much.
I am so grateful that you are in this world to lovingly share your knowledge and experience so that others can learn how to live a more joyful life! I am so thankful that our paths have crossed and you have shown me that I deserve to have the amazing & wonderful life that I have dreamt of for a very long time. I am learning that like my artwork, it takes time to complete. I do a little bit here and there; sometimes letting it sit for awhile till just the right stroke of inspiration or creativity hits me. But I try to keep its spirit alive; visiting it every day and envisioning its completed beauty.
Thank you, Shonda and Andrew, for your beautiful notes. Andrew, I love how you keep your vision so alive. You are an inspiration. And Shonda I’m thrilled to hear you are making such positive changes. I wish you wellness and joy, always.
Hi Ruth. I was going to leave a comment when I first read this blog but I didn’t – sorry 🙁 I want to let you know that your work and the person you are are extremely important. The reason I know this is because every time you write a blog it’s always about the same exact thing I’m going through, that’s proof that you are a lightworker. Also, your exercises are EXTREMELY helpful. I just did the three hearts and realized that what I really want to do is something I realized I loved when I was about 18 years old, but never had the courage to pursue.
Also, I believe the coaching that you’re talking about no one signed up for, wasn’t it also around the same time as some other coaches in this circle? My inbox was inundated for Christine Kane’s and Fabienne Fredericksen’s programs but not yours. So I guess this is just constructive criticism – maybe you can try putting yourself out there more!
You are definitely special and powerful. So, there you go!
Rita. WOW! I do love that synchronicity. Thank you for your glowing support! I hope you are holding the vision you discovered and opening to ways to bring it to full life!
You’re an open book and in sharing the delivery of you life, provide an open pathway for the reader to translate your story to their story. And in the conversion to self, you have delivered power and strength to each.
Back in the beginning…if you love something let if go…many bookstores on your journey east chose not to open their doors…many opened them wide. I think that is the story of life. We put ourselves on the line and in surprising ways the fruits of our energies come back and they are even sweeter.
Thanks for being you! And thanks for opening the door to letting me be a quiet part of your life. Know too that ideas sometimes are ahead of their time….
Thank YOU Roberta, for mirroring so clearly, that, really, we are all walking the same paths of clarity and unsureness, and that none of us is alone!