Recently I was at an open house for a mom’s group. I was a vendor. At first it was like no one noticed me. Moms were there with their children, mostly being with them in the play area, and another host of mom’s who like me had set up shop. This was my first ‘big’ outing in a while and I was a bit apprehnesive before getting there. Soon I noticed I was the only vendor like me. I wasn’t at a table, but I was at a counter. I set up my massage chair, lit my candle, opened my ‘new age’ music file on my ipod and put it on quietly. I set out my ‘ business’ materials and some dark chocolate and stood there waiting- waiting for that first person to want to sit and take time for herself. Soon she did and than another and another.

It wasn’t a big event. I dont’ know that I will see any one from the event again, meaning I didn’t hand out hardly any newsletters or brochures or get names and emails, however it was a significant step in the journey for me in other ways.

Previous to this event, I was watching my youngest daughter Lilli play soccer- well actually I was watching the entire team, hers and the others. I noticed how most of the girls hesitated on the field. It was like they knew what to do, which was get the ball and put it into the other teams’ net, yet I could also see their hesitation. This hesitation, I pondered afterwards is not what brings success. It brings missed opportunities.

This may not seem like such a profound insight, but in fact it is. You see, I have been pondering this idea of what makes people successful and what doesn’t, and in my pondering I have found some great life examples, this soccer team being one of them. Before this I listened to a man talk to me about his business idea. In truth it sounded a little hokey, but you know what, I thought afterward this guy is probably going to be very successful and why because he confidently is putting himself out there. He is excited about his hokey project. He thinks it is great. He has its vision and he has a website that displays it. He is going to be successful.

Not long after this expereince I was at our State Fair and the singer Fergie was in concert. When we arrived there were hoards of people waiting to see her at the local radio station booth. We could hardly get through the thickness of people, and I thought what the heck does Fergie have that none of these other people have. Why aren’t people lining up to see the woman with the yellow teeshirt with the footlong hotdog in her hand? Of course Fergie has a talent, but what she really has is what the guy with the hokey idea has, the ability to put who they are out there, saying hey this is who I am, this is what I do and the momentum of that belief and confidence makes people wait in line.

In my little event, this is what I did. I lit my candle, I put on my new age music, I offered dark chocolate, I gave mini massages, and I displayed my materials. I didn’t have a long line of people waiting for me (at least not yet), but I put myself out there and said this is who I am, this is what I offer. I wasn’t offering bibs and tees and children’s books. I was offering a small sacred space of peace, serenity and hopefully if I am really good, self-reflection.

From now on I am putting myself out there. I am just going to do it. Sure, there are others in the larger world, outside of mom group open houses, who are probably doing what I am doing- teaching and writing about spiritual growth and personal development, and others who are healing with various forms of bodywork and coaching, but today it does not matter. I am going to do what I am here to do in the larger world, and part of that is writing this blog. It has been years since I have published a post and today I am. Hopefully it has created a space for you of self-reflection and realization.
Stay tuned.

Your friend along the road to truth.
Namaste,
Nikki