I don’t think anyone noticed my out-of-body experience.
I doubt they noticed the flush of shame on my chest and neck under the warm lights.
There was no indication that I did anything but pause for a moment to find better words to communicate my message.
Everyone applauded wildly at the end…
But I walked off the stage and straight into the consequences of playing a role that wasn’t mine, and not listening to my own voice or finding my own words before that night.
I’ll spare you the details, but the price was steep.
Huge financial, emotional, and relational losses ensued.
If I’ve learned one thing in almost two decades of helping others find their own sacredly-coded message… and stay true to it… and do the work to become it… it’s this:
We all have something Original…
Sacred, actually…
to share with those who need it.
And more often than not,
like every great hero in every epic we love,
we need mentors and allies to help us
unearth our Sacred offering.
But what happens if our mentors act more like gurus?
What if they share their sacred offering,
but fail to send us back to our
own souls, stories, and innermost truths?
What if they never call forth the Sacred in us,
or create opportunities for us
to see, feel, and embody its originality?
If we don’t know any better
(and now you do, you’re welcome),
then we remain like children,
even as we try to change the world.
We mimic what “the big people” do…
the ones who appear to have the most influence
or make the most income
or are generating the type of impact we want to create.
We play dress-up and cake on makeup.
Maybe we wear cocktail dresses or pant suits
when our style is really jeans and jackets.
We use the words that helped us,
or that are working for them.
Maybe it’s just a phrase or -ism like my experience on stage, or maybe it’s their entire approach and content.
(Yes, even an entire course, workshop, or program!)
And worst of all,
we hustle and overwork,
wondering why we don’t get
the same results as the big people.
And we start to wonder
if we are worthy of all the good things
we want for ourselves and the world,
when perhaps the question that would help us is:
What if I considered
my own Sacred Offering WORTHY…
of the time, the attention, and the work required to
see it, feel it, and embody its originality?
It's not the easier path, for sure.
It requires…
time
energy
safety
honesty
integrity
faith.
So… much… faith.
In ourselves.
In our higher power… or destiny.
It often requires a guide, not a guru,
and allies who will hold us accountable to claiming
our own superpowers while they lend theirs.
But man oh man, it’s worth it.
To be true. To be you.
To offer the Sacred that is only yours to contribute.
Please…
For your own soul…
For the audience that is waiting for you…
And for the world that needs repair…
Be a messenger,
not a mimic.
