Start Starting
Friday, April 18, 2014 at 1:48PM 
First Flowers in the Yard — Purple Crocus — After An Especially Long Winter
When I took the Kolbe-A Index a few years ago, it identified my primary mode of being in the world as an Entreprenuer-type – a quick start, fact-finder.
I love to dive in, do some research and get going.
But when I am full of fear, not sure of what to do, or in some internal story that discounts what I have to offer, I can get stopped.
The past few years for me have been about confronting some of my deepest fears — about self-worth, trust and faith — and figuring out how to move beyond inertia to get going and START starting.
Start starting.
That's my new mantra and my declaration to start starting with the blogging again.
It has been more than three (!!) years since I blogged last. And yet the idea of writing in this space regularly hasn’t left my mind (or my to-do list) since.
There have been deep seismic shifts in my world in the past few years. Two years ago, we moved into a new home on three wooded acres across the street from miles of state forest trails. We have been nesting and remodeling and settling in. I had a little writing cottage and hermitage built on the hill behind our house.
I served as a hospice volunteer, interviewed patients about their life story, and sat vigil with people during and after their transition through the threshold of death. We got a sweet dog, Minnie, and three sweet rats (yes, rats can be sweet!). I watched in awe and respect as my sister got unexpectedly pregnant and then decided to get married, buy a house and bless me the most precious niece, Finnola Elizabeth. More of the elders in my family have passed on — my beloved great Aunt Nan (who lived to be age 101), my great Uncle Boyd, my great aunt Jewel, and my stepgrandfather Dub. They all were vital, engaged and lively into their 90s and they inspire me for the kind of person I would love to be as I age.
I still do talks about blooming big with my Flowering Wisdom book. And I’ve taken my passion for people's blooming big to individual sessions and readings as a shamanic healing arts practitioner, supporting my clients with soul-level reconnection and clarity and serving as a resourceful guide for what's next in their journey personally, professionally and spiritually. (I love, love, love that I get the honor and privilege to facilitate this work.) I have had the blessing to facilitate energy healing and clearing with animals, homes, and businesses; with souls who have crossed over; with children; with families; with entrepreneurs and creative souls; with people who are grieving; and with people just starting on a deeper spiritual path. These individual client sessions is what fills the bulk of my time nowadays and I am beyond grateful for finding a path that allows me to serve, inspire and hold others in such a profound and beautiful way.
I have been dabbling in some writing, too. I am working on another book project (a guidebook-type follow-up to Flowering Wisdom) that is about halfway done and is currently on the back burner waiting to be re-kindled.
Our daughter Grace is almost 13 — she’s as wise and light-filled as ever — and I’m keenly aware of how quickly time is moving and how soon it will be that she leaves our nest. I'm intentional to be as present as I can, to make time for her and savor the blessing of having her in my life. My husband, Michael, continues to be a great support, friend and inspiration to me to love and serve more in deeper ways.
I have been doing a lot of my own learning, healing and growing: Navigating perimenopausal hormone shifts. Clearing limiting beliefs, fear and self-doubt. Refining my spiritual, energetic and intuitive connections and skills. It's been an expansive, full, wonderful and sometimes incredibly challenging time.
I still love flowers, but lately I feel especially drawn to trees. To their rootedness, to their strength, and to their patient wisdom. I don’t think it’s an accident at all that I moved to a home that has more than a hundred trees on it.
I’m not quite sure what I will be sharing here in this blogspace going forward. I do know that I hope it will be inspiring, helpful, authentic — and much more frequent and regular than it has been.
This rambling catch-up is my way of start starting again.
Start starting writing.
Start starting sharing.
Start starting doing.
Start starting now.
Maybe there is something in your life that you desire to do, but haven't made the time yet. Maybe we can help each other to begin again anew?
I would love to hear: what you are committed to start starting?
Drop me line or comment below.
With Love,
Shannon
Reader Comments (4)
I'm so glad you're posting again. I'm so glad I came across you so many years ago. This post shows what a full and evolving life you have and how grateful you are for it.
Thank you Kim for reading, for your inspiration and your friendship through the years. {love and gratitude to you!}
Dear Shannon, what a beautiful, inspiring post! and a beautiful life you have and are creating for yourself! Love your 'rambling catchup' mantra! Let's see, one of the activities that has gotten away from me is archery. You have inspired me to get back to that artform of 'focus' and 'elegant power' this spring/summer! Looking forward to reading more from you.
Lynn thank you for taking the time to comment and share what you are committed to start starting again. I love that your focus is archery — here's to focus and elegant power. {love you}