Inner Work is Real Work

“Nothing will work unless you do.” ~ Maya Angelou

When I first read the quote above from Maya Angelou, I naturally interpreted it to mean that work was the key to getting what I want. Upon re-reading it, I realized that it was actually about the inner self working seamlessly with my world in all ways that is the real crux in creating what I want.

My personal discoveries in the last few weeks have revolved around how important it is to take care of me. Sounds basic, but what’s challenging about that is that it feels funny to put myself first. And I know that’s exactly what I need to do in order to get to my next level of being.

It’s important for me to get there because there are people waiting for me to support them in leveraging who they are and what they know into the new, tangible, real world results they want. So it’s actually more selfish of me to NOT take care of myself, which is counter-intuitive for me on so many levels.

I also know that this is what every master teacher does… they put themselves first in order to lead the way. While every master teacher says they are not yet a master and that becoming a master teacher is a continuous work in progress, it is something I focus on and am growing into every day.

Are you putting yourself first? Are you growing on purpose? Are you doing what you need to do to have your inner self working seamlessly with your world? If you feel stuck or out of balance, or feel like you keep hitting life’s “speed bumps”, or things aren’t turning out the way you want, it may be because you haven’t had the knowledge or the support to make the changes you need to be in alignment with your true self. And it’s time to consider taking a new direction for your personal best next step.

Three Things You Can Do for Inner Growth:

1. Look at your life. Right now – look around you and see your life. Everything in your life is a manifestation of past choices, decisions and commitments. Celebrate what you have, because it’s what got you to this moment. Now decide and write down what you want to do next, in the next 90 days, and really make the commitment to get them done.

2. If you find that you need some extra “oomph” to get something done, set yourself up to win. Put some structure around your goals by breaking them into bite-size pieces. Schedule them for consistent action, and honor them like you would any other appointment or project.

3. Lastly, it’s all about your environment. Look around and see who is really supporting you in being your best. If it seems that either people are holding you back or you are holding yourself back so you can keep them in your life, it’s time to consider if there is a way to restructure that. If restructuring, or renegotiating, that relationship isn’t possible, it could be time to release it. Get support for what you want to do (either from people around you or hire a professional).

Remember, any new “anything” (habit, goal, routine, relationship, etc.) takes time and focus to grow. The real, most important work you can do is what nobody else can see you doing – they only see your results. Make sure that you are working on all levels AND that you like what you see in your life. Do the real work.