I want to tell you about an incredibly powerful and transformative breakthrough I’ve recently had in my life.
This is probably the most personal I’ve ever gotten in an email to my community, and I feel a little vulnerable sharing it with you. However, my inner wisdom keeps telling me that it is really important that you hear it.
So, it’s a little longer than usual, but it’s INCREDIBLY important, so here it goes…
Many of you have noticed that I have new headshots. (Thank you for all of the loving compliments and well-wishes you’ve given me on them!!!!)
Here’s what you don’t know about my headshots: it took me TWO WHOLE YEARS of contemplating getting them before I was actually ready to do it.
I knew I needed headshots because I hated the photos I had up on my website and marketing materials. Every time I looked at them I cringed because they just didn’t feel right.
And yet, I still didn’t make time to call a photographer and schedule a photo shoot.
For a long time I thought I was just too busy to get them done. Or, I told myself, I needed to wait until my hair grew to a certain length. Or, I told myself that it was the wrong time of year. Or, I told myself that it wasn’t a worthy investment.
Well, this went on for a while until I started getting unsolicited feedback about my photos. I was told by quite a number of people – some that I had just met! – that those old photos looked nothing really like me, that they didn’t convey my soulful and transformative energy and abilities, and that it looked like I was hiding from the camera in them.
To be honest, at first I was kind of insulted by those comments. Then one day it hit me – I WAS hiding from the camera in those photos, and not just from the camera, but from my community, my current and future clients, my partners, my mentors, and anyone that would come across them.
I was scared of being visible. I was scared of being truly seen and noticed by others. I realized that by not featuring headshots that showed the “real” me, I was allowing myself to stay small and to stay safe and to stay comfortable by not really letting my photographs convey the power of my work and my incredible ability to help women heal their wounds and move forward radically with their businesses, careers, art, relationships and so much more.
Why?
When I began to look into it (because that’s the type of person I am; whenever I notice that I am holding myself back in some way – because we all do at different points in our lives, no matter how evolved we are – I immediately set out to get to the bottom of it and heal from it), I knew right away:
I was scared of rejection.
And failure.
And judgment.
And that’s not all. I saw that these fears originated from very old family and cultural histories around persecution, from more recent family relationships in my own lifetime that had me believing I couldn’t really be loved for my strength and power, and I also had to finally face the fact that I didn’t like the way that I looked physically after having a baby, so I didn’t really want anyone to see me!
Now, this wasn’t the first time in my life that I had encountered some of these fears. I had worked through these fears before, and had healed them. And, as with all of us (and I always speak about this with my clients), when you are stepping into a bigger, expansive place for yourself, fears will come up. It’s just a natural part of the process of growth.
I knew that it would be necessary to deepen my inner work even more in order to break through to the next phase of healing for myself. So, I put to use powerful the tools that I’ve developed over the years to help both myself and my clients overcome fears, take self worth and self-confidence to the next levels, and re-wire negative thoughts patterns.
And Voila! I now have my new, beautiful, radiant, soul-filled, I’m-out-in-the-world headshots!!!! They are on my website, my postcards, my newsletter – really anywhere I can place them. I am proud to be seen, and they are allowing me to reach and serve more and more women every day.
New Headshots!
Old Photo
So, why am I telling you all of this?
Because I want YOU to allow yourself to be fully seen by others for your strength, your power, your wisdom, your greatness.
I don’t want you to hide or make yourself invisible or small anymore. The world needs your wisdom, grace, aligned actions, businesses, art, writing, and so much more NOW.
Maybe you’re hiding by not really marketing your business, or maybe you’re hiding by staying in a career that isn’t aligned with your skills and talents, or maybe you’re hiding by not applying for grants that would allow you to write your book, or maybe you’re hiding by not letting your partner know about your needs.
Whatever it is, if you are hiding, if you are scared to let yourself be seen, then you will have a LOT of trouble moving forward with your dreams. And not only that – if you are hiding, then you are denying the world your gifts and your talents.
So, if you recognize that you are holding yourself back in your life, that you are hiding out in some way, that you are sabotaging your growth and potential, then my deepest wish is that you learn from my story.
And, if you are really serious about healing your visibility issues and propelling yourself to the next level of success and freedom, then I invite you to claim one of the last 3 spots left in the Women’s Intuitive Leadership Program, where you can master the exact tools I have used over and over again to empower myself at each stage of my journey.
The program begins next week – on March 9th – and it has revolutionized and healed the lives of dozens of women who have already graduated from it.
In the Women’s Intuitive Leadership Program, you will learn how to overcome your fears and claim your full self-worth so that you achieve soul-centered success in all that you do.
In this “rock-your-world” tele-program, I will teach you not only how to transform your inner blocks, but also how to put the practical pieces in place so that you achieve all of your dream goals with ease and joy. And, you get to learn all of this in the company of like-minded women who will be there for you as support, resources, and so much more.
This program is for anyone who is looking to up-level their abilities to soul-centered success.
Here is a quick look at what you will learn in the program:
Week 1: Connect with Your Body Brilliance and Inner Wisdom
Week 2: Vision Your Life, including it’s Scope, Vision and Mission
Week 3: Create a Blueprint for your Life
Weeks 4 & 5: Take Control of Your Schedule and How You Spend Your Time
Weeks 6 & 7: Powerfully and Courageously Work with your Fears
Week 8: Re-Wire Your Negative Thought Patterns
Week 9: Eliminate Distractions
Week 10: Re-Write Your Money and Abundance Story
Week 11: Intuitive and Loving Self-Care
Week 12: Measure Your Progress and Celebrate Yourself
From my heart, I want you to have all this and more. I want this for your personal satisfaction, and also because the world needs you to be in your full power and confidence right now. This is how we are changing the world.
To learn more about how the Women’s Intutitive Leadership Program can transform your life and all that you do, go to:
www.soulfulcoach.com/intuitiveleadership.php
As I mentioned, there are only 3 spots left in the program, so if you know that you are ready for this powerful experience, please right away.
I am just so excited to be able share all of this with you, and it would be my absolute pleasure to lead you through this amazing process of growth and acceleration.
I love this piece and so identify with it. Friends and colleagues often suggest I do certain things to market my business and typically, I let it go out the other ear. I just recently said out loud yesterday that I wasn’t ready to really market my business yet because I was still wanted to do X, Y and Z. Afterward, I thought, I’m totally full of crap! I know how powerful fear is and I’m often paralyzed by it but getting out there and shouting from the mountaintops is OK, especially if you have something powerful and helpful to share with the world. Thanks for reminding me to push through those fears, Joanna.
SO wise of you to share this. YES i have places i’m hiding and see where others do as well. Always helps to know we arent alone in that and hopefully will/can come out in ways we dont really even know yet with the right tools and support. I know i need it. Keep sharing. Looking forward to many coming out parties ahead.
Joanna, I can so relate!!! I love your new pictures!! Especially the one with that amazing necklace. I am so glad we connected! I can so relate to the icky feeling of competition and the loving feeling of collaboration! Here comes the new feminine paradigm Eh?
Please know you are so supported as you become more visible. I still deal with the “visibility factor” on a weekly basis. Funny to think back to only a year ago…I said, no way am I joining facebook!! So much growth through all of the fear as you well know!!
Thank you for your bravery in sharing so authentically! Sending you loving support and admiration for such bravery:))
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca –
Thank you! And your words are so wise! So glad you overcame your fears and joined Facebook! :)
Joanna