The Rest of My Secrets...
May 31, 2019Last week, I shared some of my secrets with you (about book writing and one woman shows and such) and then I inserted a tremendous cliffhanger, saying that I still had secrets!
I know you've been waiting allllllll week to find out the other parts of my life, that until now, I've kept locked away, like Rebel Wilson in her stylish but creepy dungeon in The Hustle. (Not sure what I'm talking about? It's a new movie released on Mother's Day co-starring Anne Hathaway which made me laugh out loud multiple times. Kind of like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels mixed with girl power.)
Now. The Secrets.
Usually I work on something quietly and privately and then when it's finished and successful and ready to go, I tell people about it. It's a very safe way to do things because if I don't actually finish or something goes awry, you'll never know and I still look gooood.
Today is a day to do things differently. And courageously. I'm going to share with you something that is a big "if". It may not turn out the way I want it to. I might fail publicly. I'm running the risk of looking not-so-good (which gets no italics because it's not so fun).
On the other hand, and this is what I'm affirming, it may go better than I ever could have expected.
Either way, I would like to invite you along for the journey.
Here's what's happening.
My original plan with my new self-care book series was to self-publish. It would have been so easy. I've done it before, the timeline is relatively quick and I could maintain all control.
Instead of heading down that very appealing path, I've decided to go the opposite route and find an agent to ultimately get the book(s) published by the publishing world.
Why? Why would I do this? It takes way longer. There is a giant pile of uncertainty. Rejection is assured. People will change what I've written. And it might not happen at all.
My ego is definitely not on board with this new path. It's confused. It's the one coming up with all those questions and compelling reasons to stay safe.
In a different realm, my inner guidance is telling me to change things up. It's telling me to try something new and to trust the process. My intuition is guiding me to let other people in and not do it all myself. That's the biggest reason why I'm now writing a book proposal.
To let other people in and surrender control. It's mighty uncomfortable. It makes no logical sense. And yet, I feel compelled to pursue the trip into the unknown.
Maybe I will find an agent and a publisher and my book would be for sale in real stores, where it could reach people I've never met. That would be pretty cool.
So there you have it. I have nothing left to hide. (Who am I kidding? I'm a Scorpio! I'm about as private as they get, horoscope-wise, which is why this secret-revealing is such a big deal.)
I know I'm not the only one who likes to try to control things. I invite you to see what you're holding on to right now. Is it serving you? Perhaps it is. Or maybe there's room for releasing your grip and inviting other people in who will enhance your life in ways you never could have predicted.
That's part of my vision for this publishing endeavour. What if there's an agent out there who is going to become a new friend and supporter of my work? What if someday I'll have a team who I love so much that I'll heap all sorts of praise onto them in the thank you section of my professionally published books?
(See what I'm doing here? I'm showing you how to "what if" in a way that opens you up to possibility rather than the usual worst-case scenarios.)
Since I've already self-published, I can rely on that skill set if necessary, but right now, I'm curious to see where my intuition is leading me.
And curiosity is immensely important for courage.
With buckets of love and piles of courage,
Christina
PS - My niece did something so adorable this week that I just had to share it on my podcast. In addition to a high cuteness factor, what she did also had some profound self-care lessons from which us adults could benefit. Have a listen by clicking here.
_________________________________________________________________________
Speaking of trying not to do everything yourself, self-care is not a solo endeavour. It takes new people and new ideas to learn how to implement the strategies that you didn't even know existed. Check out the Courageous Self-Care Community to learn how to incorporate strategic self-care into your life, and to find support beyond your current circle.
_________________________________________________________________________