Making entrepreneurship more fun, one ‘what if’ at a time
Wouldn’t it be fun if…
Three weeks ago I was walking to my water cooler to grab some water before jumping into an online yoga class with one of my fav studios in Toronto (what up, Mosaic Yoga 👊🏼).
I was in a pretty neutral state of mind. Not happy. Not sad. Just neutral. As I filled my glass with water, I was also multi-tasking with instagram (as one does) for the last few moments before class when I came across a post that caught my attention.
They shared a strategy called the 'wouldn't it be fun' strategy and prompted me to make a list of three pie-in-the-sky things that would be fun to have happen.
I liked this idea. 😏
And so I chose three things and gleefully recited in my head:
"Wouldn't it be fun if..."
Followed by each three item on my list, one of which was:
"Wouldn't it be fun if I heard from someone who's been following me for a while and they just happened to pop into my inbox wanting to work with me?"
I felt the joy of such a possibility tickle my inner senses, chuckled to myself and set about my yoga class completely detached from the outcome.
No word of a lie but an hour later, there it was.
The email. 🤯
"HOLY SH*T! IT WORKED!!!!!" I said outloud.
The person who dropped an email in my inbox and I had actually met a few years back when she was starting her biz. She's been following my journey ever since and as things in her life and business have shifted she's looking for some support to manage the overwhelm.
This is serendipity at work, my friends. I put out an unattached call to the universe – she likely did too, either consciously or unconsciously – and it connected the dots and hooked her desire up with my service. BAM!
So fun!
And while I've not been able to recreate this seemingly superhuman power since, it's been such a useful tool:
It's helped remind me that I am always connecting and collaborating with the universe.
Could one look at this as a coincidence? Of course. It is. But I, for one, think that coincidences and serendipities are MAGIC. I believe that they are signs from a benevolent universe...little glimmers that let us know it's there. I choose to believe these sorts of things because a) it makes life more fun and b) it helps give me lightness in a world that can feel a little dark sometimes.
Plus, us humans LOVE to think that we're soooo independent and self sufficient. But the truth is, we're always collaborating with the forces around us. We're never in full control of the outcomes AND we're never NOT in control of the outcomes. I think that paradox is an important one to recognize and get comfy with.
It helped me CONNECT TO PLAY!
Playfulness and the inherent curiosity that comes with it are two of the most helpful creative tools in a entrepreneur's toolkit. They help us to stay open to what's possible around us. They help us connect dots in our heads and find solutions that we wouldn't otherwise see if we were attached to how we think things SHOULD play out.
It reminded me that anything is possible and that we can expect the unexpectedOne of the most valuable beliefs I've adopted as an entrepreneur (and human being) is to let go of the reins. By that I mean, I DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO KNOW HOW SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN. I don't have to predict 'how' all the time...in fact, in my experience, things rarely pan out the way I imagine they will.
I just need to show up with commitment to the basics of what I want, provide value for the people in my orbit, evolve my business to make it easier and easier for the clients that are looking for my services to find me and allow the rest to unfold as it will. This helps me stay out of perfectionism and force and stay in grace and service.
It helps me get out of "why isn't this working?" (a thought that is totally natural and NEVER helpful) and focus my thoughts and energy towards what I want
For today, on my list of "wouldn't it be funs..." I have:
"Wouldn't it be fun if I shared this idea with my people and they gave it a try??"
I trust that if you've made it to this point in my anecdote, you too will get a bit playful with the universe, shake off a little seriousness and put together your own "wouldn't it be fun" list of possibilities.
Feel free to share them in the comments below (ESPECIALLY if/when they come true!).
Ok, that's all from me for now.
Love yas!
~ Syd 💛✨
