7 of 7: Your Top 7

Imagine yourself having just finished leading a successful workshop…

There were wonderful, engaged participants who are eager to recommend you to others…and who want to work with you again…

You gained a deeper, more delicious understanding of your own work…

And you made a nice profit.

Sounds great, right?

And you know that Turn Your Wisdom Into Workshops (which starts TOMORROW) will give you all the tools, insights and straight-from-the-trenches information to succeed, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced pro.

So what’s holding you back?

(I tried to write this in such a way as to be useful to you whether you’re consider my class or not. Let me know what you think. Is it fun? Meaningful? Annoying? Too woo? Helpful?)

1) You feel like now’s not a good time. You wish this were happening in a few months.

Practical Answer: Yes. Opportunity is often inconvenient. But if you get into it and decide it’s really not working, just let me know within 30 days and I’ll cheerfully refund your tuition. No worries.

Spiritual Growth Answer: This opportunity has presented itself to you now because now is the right moment for you. You don’t have to feel ready. You don’t have to feel confident. You don’t even have to know where all this is going. I have faith in you. The Divine Spirit has faith in you. Your future students have faith in you. The moment to step out in faith is now.

Try This Perspective: I answer the call, knowing that everything is unfolding in perfect time.

 

2) You don’t feel like you’re really an “expert.”

Practical Answer: Actually, I bet you kind of are. I’ve been leading workshops of all sizes & shapes for over 30 years, and in my experience, most of what makes a great teacher great is life experience, empathy and a unique perspective on the material.

Spiritual Growth Answer: You don’t need to a special certification to be able to help people. And you never have to pretend you know more than you do. You know what you know. That’s sufficient: you know what you know.

Try This Perspective: I know what I know, and I’m learning more every day.

3) You kind of hate the idea of promoting yourself.

Practical Answer: Oh, honey, we all do – especially at the beginning. But it gets a lot easier and more joyful with the support and simple guidelines provided in the class.

Spiritual Growth Answer: You may feel like it’s not really safe for you to be VISIBLE. Or that you already take up too much space. Or that you mustn’t impose on people. But you are ready to move past the point where you let old stories and fear make the decisions for you. Self-promotion may be uncomfortable at first, but if you really want to help people, it’s well worth it.

Try This Perspective: I am ready to stand tall in my truth and share my voice with the people who need to hear it.

4) You really don’t know how much to charge.

Practical Answer: It’s tricky, right? Charge too much and you might turn people off, charge too little and it’s not worth your time. I’ll give you some great suggestions and formulas for figuring out the perfect price point.

Spiritual Growth Answer: Remember that buying and selling is a sacred exchange of energy. Just like other sacred exchanges of energy (a hug, for example, or sex) it requires strong intention, mutual respect and an honoring of the other. As a teacher, you have an opportunity to re-shape your relationship with money. Nothing overcomes an old story like a new experience.

Try This Perspective: Creativity is abundant, clients are abundant, money is abundant. I rejoice in the easy flow of money, energy and time.

5) You’re not sure exactly what you’d teach…or if anyone would be interested in it.

Practical Answer: We cover that in the class, so you’ll have total clarity and focus.

Spiritual Growth Answer: Staying in the “I don’t know” or “I’m still figuring it out” stage for too long is a form of hiding out. It also shows traces of insidious perfectionism.

Try This Perspective: I open up to new information and to my intuition, knowing I am on the right path.

6) I don’t know if I should teach online or in person.

Practical Answer: Both are good. You might want to teach in person if you live in a big city, like being up in front of a group, and if you’re teaching something where you need hands-on access to their physical bodies. You might want to consider teaching online if you want to reach a global community, if you like the “green” aspect of no one having to drive anywhere, and you are OK learning some tech stuff. And certainly you can do both. (I do.) Either way, you’ll get total clarity on this during the class.

Spiritual Answer: Allowing yourself to stay in a state of indecision is keeping your foot on the neck of your talent.

Try This Perspective: It’s safe for me to decide. I can always choose again.

7) I don’t have the money.

Practical Answer: You can get started for just $187. That’s six bucks a day. If you can learn enough to get 10 people to pay you $49 for a one-day workshop, you’ve earned back your investment. And you can do that over and over again.

Spiritual Answer: You always have the money you need to do the things that are truly important to you. And in my experience, the minute you take action, the resources appear. (You’ve had that, too, right? You decide to do something that you really want and then almost immediately, the exact amount you need shows up. Happens all the time.)

Try This Perspective: I take inspired action and welcome in the miracles.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope that you feel clean, clear and fabulous about it.

Yours,
Sam

Women Who Workshop

Women Who Workshop

photo of lotus

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New Year. New Poem. Enjoy!
Women Who Workshop

A scarf from India
A top that’s Loose around the Middle
Very, very, very Sensible Shoes
And an Unceasingly Kind expression
(The uniform of individuality).

You, the Bright-Eyed.
You, the Generous volunteer.
You, still working out That Stuff with your dad.

In hotel ballrooms and
Church basements and
Yoga studios and
Campgrounds and
Korean spas and
Montana ranches, Bahamian Beaches and the
Herbalist’s office

You are becoming.
It’s so becoming.
You, becoming.

And you’ve learned to
Bring a sweater and a
Thermos of hot water and
Lots of extra tissues.

You have stood in a circle
You have lain prostrate
Your bookshelf groans with
Helping Insightful Books and
Your Journals burst with line
After line
Documenting
Your becoming.
You’re becoming.
You are becoming.

Sensual
Intellectual
Hard-headed
Tender-hearted
(so tender-hearted)
With your Full-Moon Necklace and your
Chakra-Balancing Necklace and the
Beautiful Gold Ring that you
Hand-forged in that Post-Divorce Workshop
Out of the engagement ring from your First Marriage and the
Wedding band from your Second

Now you marry only yourself.
Standing before your Altar
You promise to
Love
Honor and
Cherish
Yourself
From this day forward.

You recognize that some might call it an
Indulgence
To spend time and money on
The Issues That Challenge You.
But those people can screw off (compassionately)
Because the Rush of
Self-realization when you finally put That Betrayal behind you
The poem you wrote about your daughter that
Still makes you cry
(And OK, fine – that delirious eight-day affair with that Yoga Guy –
Sweet Heaven he was gorgeous – and so bendy – )
Cannot be matched by anything that can be
Found inside your own condo.

You have found freedom.
You have healed your Inner Child and
Embraced your Inner Queen.
You are even developing a side-long glance
Relationship with the word “Crone.”

You are curious – becoming – laughing – becoming – stretching –
Because as the wise woman said If You Stop Stretching You Die – sharing –
Because that’s what Heaven’s Children do –
Rejoicing in your growing awareness that no Workshop Intensive
In the world is better than your own becoming
Coming to be.

© 2011 Samantha Bennett