When my name was called I felt a surge of adrenaline. A mixture of fear and excitement coursed through my body. Now I had to go on the stage in front of hundreds of people and talk about my business and my financial situation. I felt so vulnerable, especially as many of those individuals have a very high net worth and successful businesses to boot. In my mind they were ‘way ahead of me’.

Still, I’d submitted my application for hot seat coaching and mine was one of just three which had been picked at random from hundreds of applications. This was happening for a reason.

I knew in my heart that there were other people in the audience feeling like me. Still with areas which felt ‘broken’ and ‘not enough’ despite our progress. Still feeling inferior, and also getting triggered by some of the content we were learning. So I felt that me being called up could help us all. Be the voice for those feeling like I was.

I walked up to the stage feeling more confident than I’d expected. Something inside me, that was not me, was prepared for this…

The event was a conference on wealth building in London.

It was brilliant, if intense, with three 11 hour days. The lady who teaches the content is inspiring. An individual with a multi million dollar net worth who also has a business which helps thousands of people. She’s a spiritually led persona and also financially free.

I’d LOVED nearly everything we’d covered, however there were a few concepts which I was struggling to join up inside of me.

From a Spiritual Perspective, Is It OK To Have Goals and Desires?

I’ve been asking myself this question recently.

After all, if God / The Universe has a plan for us, and we’re here to carry out that plan, if our purpose here is to be more loving and to help our planet heal, what place (if any) do our own desires have?

If you’d have asked me about this anytime over the past few years, I’d have emphatically encouraged you to list your desires and create a plan to make them happen. With my business head on I’ve always encouraged my clients to get crystal clear on their desires, create a powerful vision and a set of goals to take them there, step by step.

But recently something about this process has begun to feel a little ‘off’ to me.

It’s been feeling sort of empty. Not quite in alignment. It’s as though there’s a nudging in my soul to look more deeply at it.

At the same time I’ve also become increasingly turned off by the whole “make 6 figures in your business’ message, and the ‘hustle till you make it’ idea. I’m turning away from the ideas of ‘peak performance’ and ‘pushing through’ and ‘high achiever’. Not because I don’t want to have a 6 figure business, I’m open to it, just because it doesn’t feel so important anymore.

What feels important now is the desire to connect and serve.

The desire to be in flow. To be carrying out God / The Universe’s plan rather than just my own. To help others and to make a positive difference in our world. A real difference.

I prefer to do this with ease and grace, not by hustling and pushing, which feels at best disconnected from my soul, and at worst slightly masochist.

I’m not against doing the work. However I suspect that there’s a better way we can do this. Without ruining our health, harming ourselves, each other and the planet in the process.

So where do desires and goals fit into all this?

If we don’t get in touch with our desires and make a vision and goals won’t we just sit around all day like wet dish cloths? Surely nothing will get accomplished!

I’ve been mulling this over…

Willing To Be Vulnerable

There I was, sat on that stage at the event, bearing my soul about how I felt.

In fact I didn’t actually raise the question of whether it’s spiritual to have goals and desires, however I received that answer anyway, internally, over that weekend.

Instead, I spoke about feeling broken around money still, Despite having paid off £24,000 worth of debt and massively improving my financial situation. Despite having grown my business and having amazing clients to serve.

I spoke of feeling triggered and intimidated listening to others speak who ‘were ahead of me’ and of feeling hopeless because I didn’t have some of the advantages which I perceived they did.

With tears streaming down my face I said “It’s just me. I don’t have a partner to support me. I don’t own a home. I don’t have a chunk of money to invest or a stash of savings. I don’t have a corporate background or high paying job to fall back on. It’s just me.”

The speaker looked at me, gave me a hug and with a glint in her eye she looked directly at me and said “Yes, its just you”.

All of a sudden I was infused with a sense of possibility and excitement, It was as though my mind suddenly burst open through the top of my head. I felt a surge of love and peace coming in, and in that moment I changed.

I realised the freedom I have. No one to answer to or check with. I can do what I like, go where I like, create what I like. I’m free.

Then we then worked through some ideas (and yes desires) for projects I could do and ways to help me get financially free. As we did the enthusiasm continued to bubble inside of me.

After I came off the stage I was completely overcome by the support and love people showed me. Everyone was so generous and open hearted. Those who I saw as ahead of me came up to me, expressed love and offered to support me in various ways. In fact, I’ve never felt so supported.

So then back to the question I had in the back of my mind, over the weekend but also for several months before. How do my own personal desires fit into God / The Universe’s plan?

Keep Asking – The Answers Will Come

Over the course of the weekend the answer to my question just sort of seeped in.

I realised that my desires and vision don’t have to be separate from Gods. In fact, they can be very much aligned.

This isn’t a spiritual bypass or a ‘pass’ to just do whatever I want. We have a responsibility to create mindfully and create well, here on this earth.

What I realised is that if I listen carefully, I do my spiritual work and I stay open to God, Spirit and the Universe, then I’ll be guided. My plans, vision and goals can be led by that. I noticed too, that when they are, they feel GREAT!

The the desires which are truly heartfelt, they’re not bad. I can list them down. I can make goals and plans, informed by the guidance I receive. I can enjoy good things.

The course in Miracles says we are also here to experience joy.

I will do all these things, and I realise, on a deeper level, none of them really matter. I can achieve them, or not, and the most important thing is to be more loving. To work to solve problems. To become more conscious and awaken. To help others.

The interesting paradox is that as I focus on the above, the desires get fulfilled automatically, without me really trying. Goals get accomplished, effortlessly.

I came to realise that God / The Universe is much better at this than me! 🙂

Sometimes we get a guidance which is inconvenient, or seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Like the message I got to come North. It didn’t seem logical. After all I had a life, friends and even a client down South. However I listened. I’ve learned it’s best to.

Since moving here my life and business have unfolded in the most beautiful way. Opportunities have presented themselves which I never would have had access to if I’d stayed down South. Events have occurred way beyond my wildest imaginings.

I do still have a vision, for my life and my business. I do still have goals and make a plan in my business. That makes sense. But there isn’t the same sort of ‘pressure’ around it that there used to be. It feels more joyous. Something exciting to aspire to, rather than something to strive, struggle and push for.

Goals are inspiring to guide my actions, rather than something to beat myself over the head with if I don’t do it exactly as planned.

I’m open to change and flow.

Am I still ‘going for it’ in my business? Sure, but only if it’s divinely guided and feels in alignment. if I’m not sure, I wait.

A Change in Perspective

Do you know I went to this event consciously thinking about what could I GIVE. How could I keep me heart open and fully participate. How could I be more loving?

Despite the insecurities of my personality, which got triggered during the event and subsequently dealt with through the coaching, I went to the event with the conscious mindset of ‘what could I give’ rather than what could I get.

I firmly believe that’s why so many people connected with me and I had the amazing experience I did.

Prior to getting triggered I was in a state of feeling ‘whole’. Like despite what any outside circumstances might look like, that I didn’t need anything. I already have everything. I was feeling wealthy and abundant.

That’s what spiritual work does for us.

In Conclusion

List your desires if it feels good to do so. Make plans. Create a vision. Invite God / The Universe in, let him speak through you. You can create it together. It’s divinely inspired.

Marianne Williamson says ‘you are the faucet not the water’. I like that.

Create a plan for your business, it’s only sensible to do so…

But then, be open to guidance from your higher power.

Do your spiritual work. Read the texts, meditate, LISTEN… You will be guided.

Be open. Change your plans as needed. Tweak your vision and your goals.

Trust in God, Spirit, The Universe and chill the fuck out! Don’t worry if it takes a different amount of time to what you thought it should. As we become more loving we get to enjoy the process more too.

Big Love to you.

Over to you. How do you feel about setting goals and going for your desires? Leave a comment below. 

With Love

Julie.

PS – Being spiritually guided and creating a business that aligns with your soul is not an excuse to be wishy washy or sloppy. In fact, when you align with your soul you will be more in integrity. It’s a way to ensure that what you say yes and no to are fully aligned. It’s a way to become better at delivering on your promises and living in alignment with your words and values. It’s a way to be more impeccable.

(Photo credit: Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash)