The Power of Constraints: Creating space for possibility and opportunity

Photo by Mourizal Zativa on Unsplash

Hello, Readers

“You can boil your whole life down to a single suitcase if you desperately had to.” - Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Act.

The constraints of space and time have been at play in my life as it reconfigures itself. I’ve reconfigured my business by releasing nonaligned work. I'm doing the same thing now on a physical level, and it is not lost on me that those are just two layers of my life, and there’s more to come as I step fully into connecting to myself, my body, my desires, and the work I am here to do. I am making space for things I can see and don’t know about yet. Like an empty shelf begging to be filled, I resist putting anything there and leave room for possibility.

There is no room for the new to come in when everything is full. How can Spirit surprise and delight us if we are so busy with packed schedules and resentment?

I am moving from a big house to a small camp. On the east coast of the US, a camp is what they call a summer place where you go to relax. It’s half the square feet. I am tempted to fill it up, but the smallness of it helps me question each item. Is it needed? How does it add value to my life? Do I love it?

As I move back and forth between the spaces, setting one up as a short-term rental and one as a summer camp, I discern what is truly needed. I bring things from my home to the camp to see if they fit. If they don’t, I bring it to the thrift store. And this next layer of releasing feels so good.

In touching everything I own, so much is getting stirred up. Old journals, photos, and gifts all have a story and connected emotions, and I am still working through letting some of it go. Letting go of my past. After all, I’ve already lived it. To connect with who I am now and who I want to continue to become.

Once, I experienced a shamanic journey at Kripalu Yoga Center, and I saw a woman who was me. She was one with the earth, brown with very little clothing, walking barefoot, wild hair. The animals were her family, and the plants were her friends. When sharing in a circle after this experience, I told everyone I didn’t see anything. There were no visions. I didn’t remember anything at that moment. She came to me later when I was ready to see that part of myself, and now I am becoming her.

As I have been making space and stirring things up, these thoughts have been rumbling around in my psyche. And then, while on a hike, listening to Jodi Picoult's book, Vanishing Acts, I heard that sentence, “You can boil your whole life down to a single suitcase if you desperately had to.” When I read this line, I was like, that's it. If you had to, you could fit everything you really needed into one suitcase. So we do know what we need, what we must have, and what we treasure. And only when faced with the constraint does that become unignorably clear.

As I began to imagine my business as a suitcase, I saw this is exactly what I did this year with my business. I kept what was essential and supportive.

• My business is a suitcase, and it was too big.

• Items were spilling out.

• They didn’t make sense.

• Like bringing a winter coat to the beach.

• I got clear about where I was going, focused on my passion, Financial Forecasting, and suddenly knew exactly what to bring forward with me on my journey.

And I am thankful I didn’t wait until I desperately needed to make changes. I didn’t wait until I lived in pain for so long that I had to make a change because of the toll it was taking on my life. We don’t have to wait for a crisis to give ourselves what we need and want.

I want to share what has happened since I made so much space.

I have time and the desire to travel, which is good for me.

My biggest client needed more services, and I was available to respond to that need without stress and grow with them.

I’ve had time to work on my properties and started to identify that real estate investing is another business for me and not just a hobby and retirement plan, and it’s okay that it feels so fun!

An opportunity to sublet a house and manage it as a rental, adding a new income stream, fell into my lap in a week from idea to cash flow. That one really surprised me.

Imagine your business as a suitcase.

I invite you to consider what fits in your suitcase and why.

• Where are you going?

• What comes with you that supports and aligns with your vision?

• What doesn’t make sense to bring along?

• What creates energy?

• What depletes energy?

What is the first thing that pops into your mind as you consider these questions?

• Your most profitable clients?

• Your favorite clients?

• Work you enjoy?

• The thing you are most excited about?

• Activities that support your vision for yourself, your life, and your business?

We are making this all up. We are the creators of our businesses. We get to decide.

Thanks for reading. It’s fun to share my life and thoughts with you.

In love,

Carol

P.S. I see many writing prompts in this blog, so if you love to journal, pick a sentence or idea and go.