Guest blogger: An Antidote for Self-Employed August Panic

I subscribe to Mark Silver's blog. He's writing wise for people like us, doing business motivated by our hearts. His post last week was so good, and so in line with some things I've written (so you know he's brilliant!) that I asked for his permission to share it with you. You can sign up for his e-newsletter as well, which is free and well-worth the 20 seconds it will take you sign up.

An Antidote for Self-Employed August Panic

by Mark Silver, August 6 2013

August is a strange month for the self-employed. In July you can still say you’re only half-way through the year, but by August you begin to feel the year ebbing away already.

There are goals you had hoped to be much further toward. Plus, it’s holiday time for many people, and so depending on your industry, clients can be a little thinner on the ground than usual.

Maybe “panic” is too strong a word- that probably won’t set in until October or November when you realize the year really is drawing to a close. But some anxiety, some hint of unsettledness… wow, are things ever going to change?

In our culture we are so addicted to breakthroughs and quantum leaps. Progress needs to be measured with a meter stick, anything less we tend to ignore.

Speed has a certain allure. With the windows down and The Clash (requested by my 4 1/2 year old son- raising ‘em right!) blaring from the speakers, the wind in your hair is exhilarating. For awhile.

Then the noise of the road gets to you. You wonder, do I really need to travel this fast? What is an organic rate of growth?

Our tomato plants have grown tremendously huge, large numbers of tomatoes all over them… all of them green. Not one red or yellow ripe tomato yet. Still waiting. It’s been months.

I’ve been working with a client for over a year. Given where he started you’d think results would have happened a lot faster for him.

Yet the work we did at first was the same work I did in the garden early this sprig. I double dug garden beds, loaded in lots of compost. Planted small plants with lots of room.

He had had an exhausting experience with a high-octane coaching program. It took time to recover. It took time to regain his sense of himself. It took time to bring healing to his business.

Wisely he chose, and I supported him, to move slowly, to not push, to not go into exhaustion. Slowly, being compassionate with his tender heart he took steps into strength and clarity
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Now things are moving more quickly. Now results are happening. But the preparation took time.

In Sufism it is said that sincerity is the most necessary quality for the seeker. It is a precious gift of the heart that allows you to seek only the truth, to cut through story, drama, fears. It is sincerity, not cleverness, that will ultimately bring us to our most yearned-for destinations.

It’s never too late to slow down. It’s never too late to rest. It’s never too late to let your heart turn away from the noise of the road and toward the tender garden of your soul.

I invite you to allow the sincerity of your love and desire to serve to slow you down, even bring you to a full stop, so that you can take careful stock this month.

You may not have seen the results you had hoped to yet this year. Question: Are you trying to move quickly and ending up paralyzed or with scorched earth syndrome in your soul? Or…

Are you slowly, gently, step-by-step putting the pieces in place, double-digging your beds, gaining clarity on what you really need to do?

Take a moment now to stop. Just stop. Put it all down. Breathe in. Let go of the road you’re on. Ask: what does your heart say about this year?

There are so many messages to move quickly. But what is your organic pace? We often have to slow down to find it, to connect to our own hearts again. Then we can move from the deep sincerity we find there..

With love and appreciation,

Mark