Today I’m going to tell you a story.
A Writer,
Rave reviews,
50 emails per week
before everybody
had email addresses.
had email addresses.
People
were hungry to do her play.
A play
from the mothers
to the people
asking them to
all rise for change.
PAY ATTENTION.
Mamas and Babies
need you.
Communities got BOLD,
changed laws,
said NO to consent
without their consent.
The Writer spent
hours and hours and hours
supporting the movement,
telling her kids “not now”
and her husband "later"
all for these people.
The Cause.
The Calling.
Her heart over-flowed with love
for the People.
Brown soiled love.
Muddy love.
Muddy love.
I’m the most
successful poor person
you know
she’d tell everyone.
She’d smile proudly.
They laughed.
Then one day the money was
truly gone.
I’m the most
successful poor person
you know
The Writer would say
now followed by
a nervous laugh.
I’m more about social change than money,
she told everyone.
I’m more about following my Calling
than money,
I’m more about
ANYTHING
than money.
I’m about
changing the culture of birth.
Soon after this
DECLARATION
as she repeated to a birth colleague
one day that
one day that
I’m the most
successful poor person you know
three things happened:
she started to cry,
she had a major
PITY PARTY,
and then she looked in the help wanted ads.
Mission over.
Dream over.
Calling over.
And then what?
A mentor woke her
UP
while they ate an
omelet
on a sunny day.
The Writer left thinking,
I deserve money.
I CAN follow my
Calling.
The mentor helped the Writer
Learn BUSINESS.
Think BUSINESS.
Be BUSINESS.
Hey - but isn’t BUSINESS soul-less?
the Writer asked
day after
freaking day.
The mentor showed her
business with heart.
LIGHT BULB.
The Writer
INVESTED
in a
BUSINESS course.
And survived.
She
begged and borrowed
To INVEST
in defining her core message
from an authentic place
with a woman
who understood
the Heroine’s Journey.
She
INVESTED
in working with a business coach
who happened to be
a super creative
Visionary
like herself.
She
INVESTED
more and more.
Time and money.
She applied what she learned.
Yes,
SHE WAS SCARED.
But pretty soon
she
changed her mantra.
I am a successful
business woman
changing the world.
She began to follow her
CALLING
and make money.
Imagine that.
Harmony lit up her home,
her bounce returned,
and
one day
she realized
one day
she realized
receiving business skills
STRENGTHENED
her mission.
Today she wants to
GIVE BACK.
Who is she?
She’s….
ME.
A Writer
A Teacher
A Visionary
Who wants to
GIVE BACK
the skills I learned
to pull me out of
‘poor birthworker
mode.’
I want
YOU
to get these skills
before
you sink into
deeper debt
over a Calling
you love like
Whipped Cream
on a sundae.
I want to help
YOU,
your Business,
watch you
make a plan
to live your Calling
and earn money
doing it.
I want you to join me in
in activating your
Full-Body-YUM
Mode
and lay the
poor birth worker
to rest.
and lay the
poor birth worker
to rest.
Ready?
Next Wednesday September 19th
at 10am PST/1pm EST
Join me
and Stephanie Dawn
for a
to talk about this
taboo topic.
Let’s get naked together,
step into entrepreneurship
and birth work
without all the kicking
and screaming.
Let’s do this.
You can
for the call.
And tell others too.
Don't keep this a secret
anymore.
Don't keep this a secret
anymore.
See you soon,
Right?
10 comments:
Inspiring blog, Karen! Thanks. I look forward to the webinar.
Very moving. Power in simplicity. Thank you for trying to wake us up.
So VERY true. Guilty!
Now I know that I need to focus on my business even more.
Yes, Karen! Thank you for sharing this with us and inspiring others to think about this.
I too have always wanted to inspire birth workers to embrace the possibilities of an entrepreneurship spirit. I have always felt that the energy that we put into our work is of great value!And I love that you point out that this is a learned skill-seek out a training or workshop to start lighting the fire!
In a similar piece last year about Having a Calling and Making a Living I even dared to ask if we were being anti feminist(!) for feeling like we don't deserve to be compensated and valuing our oh so valuable work that we do: http://www.doulatrainingsinternational.com/having-a-calling-and-making-a-living
Keep up the great work and Thank you:)
Tara Brooke
Yes Yes YES - Tara Brooke! I'm thrilled to see you've written about this. I figured if you're connected with Aimee Brill you are definitely on this page.
It's time for all birth workers to INVEST in themselves as entrepreneurs so we can keep going and change the culture of birth!
I really hope birthworkers will join Stephanie and me on our free call next Weds Sept 19: http://businessabundancebirthwork.eventbrite.com/
Beautiful Karen! So many of us can relate to this and I'm so happy you are teaching this change. Beautiful!
Oh, Karen, you're really amazing!! I'm so proud of you. I've never heard from your mouth this previous mantra "I'm the most successful poor person you know", but we had lots of conversation about this on our tea times (oh, I miss them so much!). It took some time to find the light bulb, but I'm glad you found it.
We need to talk some day, business woman! I hope you're not so busy in this your new mode! :-))
Lots of love!
Shirley
Great post!
I have an important appointment that day/time! Will you be doing this again?
Hi Tara,
We might, depending on interest. Do sign up for the call. You'll get the recording via MP3.
Thanks for your interest in joining the conversation!
K
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