Secret Allies
My recent Wave tattoo!
If you dream of creating something, whether a business idea, a more intimate relationship with your partner and family, or a lifestyle, there is one thing that you need to embrace fully: the commitment to that dream.
Let me share a story with you and we'll circle back to this commitment piece.
About 18 months ago, I got my first tattoo in Kailua, Oahu. This was a significant moment for me for many reasons... my special place, my first tattoo, my spiritual totem, and let’s be honest, I was marking my body forever!
The intention behind doing this was that I wanted my power symbol “Ganesha” to be visible to me at all times as I went about my day, reminding me that “the obstacles are the path” and to trust myself to persevere and to welcome the learnings that come with challenge.
This truly was a marker of my intention and dedication to my path.
Recently, when I was visiting Kailua again, preparing for my upcoming retreat, I knew that it was time for another Marker.
I got my 2nd tattoo, this time it was The Wave.
For the past year, I had been experiencing what I thought were recurring nightmares featuring a tsunami. In all my dreams, the tsunami destroyed everything but me. They were terrifying, and I was concerned that this was a premonition of doom to come.
Then, around January, I had an epiphany.
The tsunami was not a bad omen but rather an invitation to surrender to the creative wave of my life. WOW!
I was being shown the alchemy of nature's way of destruction and regeneration.
This wave was coming as a guide for me, much like Ganesha.
The wave is teaching me about the power of my emotions when I channel them, rather than avoid them.
When I choose to be a creator with the changes and trust that they are for me and not happening to me, then I can ride the wave and allow it to take me where I am being called to be transformed.
This new marker is another declaration: The emergence of my Exponential Self, long in the works.
To be clear, of course you don't need to go get a tattoo to attest to your dedication to your dreams and desires, but you do need markers of your commitments because they keep you in the feeling place of what you are moving towards. This is pivotal.
Why? Because our emotions are powerful as they are literally energy in motion! The emotion directs the motion.
The stronger the marker, the harder it can be to 'go back.'
In my case, I would have to go through the time-intensive process of removing my wave tattoo. Otherwise, every day that I see my tattoo, I am being reminded of my choice and the reasons why I am choosing this new path.
Often, the path towards our new Genius Self is winding, and progress is hardly linear or predictable, so we need these reminders to keep coming back to our commitment, to our dream, to our chosen direction.
This is why markers are such important allies along our journey of becoming.
Invigorate your commitment with them and notice how it becomes easier for you to stay inspired, motivated, and driven by desire rather than by fear.
If a tattoo is not appealing to you, here are some other ideas for markers that you can use:
- Announce your desire or dream to your community, whether to family, friends, or followers in your communication channels. Make it public!
- Write your desire down and place it somewhere you can see it daily (try reading it daily to yourself). - Write and sign a contract to yourself. Include what you are committing to, what you will do to show dedication, and how you will measure progress.
- Choose a symbol that represents your desire and keep it with you. It can be a photo or an item (until I had my wave tattoo, I found a journal with a wave on it and kept it on my desk).
So, how high is your level of commitment to that which you dream of?
If you want to strengthen it, find a marker, keep it as close as you can, and take the actions that you know are most coherent with that commitment
That dream of yours... it's closer than you think.
Jill