I was sitting on my grey couch underneath lines of drying clothes above my head, the fan on full blast trying to get these damn clothes dry as, YET AGAIN, another cloud dumped rain over my little casita in Costa Rica when I began to feel defeated. 3 different times this week I've hung my clothes on the line outside, went to the beach in Samara where I live, and thumped my hand over my forehead saying "AGAIN?!" as the heavens opened up without warning and drenched my almost dry clothes. Another day of riding my bike home vigorously to save them from their doomed moldy existence! SERIOUSLY?
Eventually I got smart and I started hanging my clothes inside. HA! Beat that weather Gods! Smart, yes, but now I've acquired a new set of problems... like all of my clothes smelling like garlic since they're hanging in the kitchen where I cook.
As I slumped onto my couch I realized this feeling of DEFEAT was one that I was feeling in my business as well. I once heard that if you look at your laundry it reflects how you're doing in your job. HAHA! So if you're staring at piles of laundry you're probably procrastinating in the work place! If the clothes aren't in the bin you may just keep missing the target. And if you're spending your whole day running around like a chicken with it's head cut off to get your clothes clean and dry... maybe you're doing TOO MUCH IN TOO MANY DIRECTIONS, Amber. Since the opening of Casa de Luz I'm finding a recalibration as an entrepreneur!
This post is less about why I'm feeling defeated, and more about how to overcome defeat - through PERSISTENCE.
Let's start by looking at the definition of persistence:
per·sist·ence
noun
firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
(and for further understanding let's look into the word "obstinate")
ob·sti·nate
adjective
stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.
So no matter how freakin hard it gets, you stubbornly go forward in ACTION.
In any job you're going to have days where you want to give up. That's a normal feeling, but how often do we actually GIVE UP? Some people spend many years of their life trying to discover their individual purpose. When the lightbulb finally goes off and they decide what they are meant to do, they start taking action! But they also expect that everything will magically fall in line and the rest of the walk (the doing) is simple.
And when it's ISN'T simple?
"Oooooh actually that wasn't my purpose! JK. I'm going to just quietly back away and hope nobody notices..." Then they go back to their comfortable desk where they keep playing small.
SO WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR? Persistence!
"In spite of difficulty or opposition" you just KEEP GOING. If things aren't going how you expected them to, please don't give up. It actually means you're on track because God's plan is so much bigger than you can even dream! Start looking at rejection as redirection.
Before you get to that feeling of success you have to uncover your "special sauce" and embody your purpose in your own unique way. So I might be born to teach yoga but it may take me some time to figure out what makes me special as a yoga teacher! And part of that development process will probably include a lot of tough lessons to help me build stamina in my field of dharma! It's like in Mario Bros, each level gets increasingly harder but you get closer to your goal of saving Princess Peach. Plus you get to collect gold coins as you go ( lil' nuggets of knowledge)!
When I first started teaching yoga on the beach in Costa Rica, I was getting 1 students in most classes, and occasionally the exciting 3 students! Even though it was slow to start, I could feel the momentum with consistency. Over the years I've had no shows and I've had full classes. But it's always been true that the more I showed up in excitement to serve, the more the Universe provided for me AND THAT'S HOW I KNOW I'M LIVING MY PURPOSE.
After moving 6 different locations I could've given up on this teaching thing altogether, OR I could have decided to build my own deck and create my own circumstances. I'm so glad I did!
Casa de Luz almost feels like a rebirth, an expansion of sharing space with others and helping them find their way. It's challenging me in so many new ways and it's also been super rewarding to see the profound healing and love that fills that space. I'm grateful that I stuck it out this far because the dream just keeps getting bigger!
Be consistent, adaptable & persist! Keep showing up in new ways and see how God shines the path for you.
And don't forget to take your laundry off the line before going to the beach! :)
Thanks for persisting through reading this lengthy blog post. <3 MUAH!
Amber
