As you know, last month I offered a free tele-seminar call, where I announced a new online Master Coaching program. My vision was clear and powerful: people would listen to the call, get as excited about the content as I am, feel incredibly inspired and deliriously motivated and the class would fill within the first week.
But that didn't happen.
Sure, people listened to the call. But not a single person signed up for the program.
And I was devastated.
How could I put so much effort and love into a thing and not have it turn out the way I expected?
I wallowed for a few days in the disappointment. I knew I did a good job. I knew I was offering an amazing program. (Fortunately, I never went down the self-deprecating path telling myself that the tele-seminar sucked, or that I wasn't a good coach.)
But I did wonder if I should just give up on the whole Spark the Heart thing and focus all of my efforts and attentions on my Mac training, since that's where more of my success happens.
And then I talked with friends. I shared my bruised heart with my coach. And I came back to remembering that nothing is ever all or nothing.
I remembered that it is a gift that I have two very different businesses that bring my joy and allow me to serve others. I remembered that it is precisely the success of my Mac training that offers me the opportunity to also grow this new and passionate other business.
But, like everything, it will take time.
When things don't go the way we hope, it's OK to feel disappointment. It's OK to retreat for a bit. In fact, it's a wonderful thing to step aside for a while so you can regain some perspective.
When you step back from the disappointment, you give your ego a chance to heal.
And then you're able to ask yourself bigger questions without judgment, like, How important is this? What bigger lesson is here for me? How could I do things differently next time?
So no, I haven't given up. But I am stepping back to see where I am really meant to focus my energies and how best I can serve the people I work with.
I am letting go of expectations and opening to a bigger vision of what I am here to be and do.
Ruth Davis is a Creative Living Coach and the founder of Spark the Heart. In addition to one-on-one coaching, she leads workshops and retreats that combine practical coaching techniques with creativity and play to spark her clients' deepest passions and dreams.
Ruth's greatest passion is engaging with and encouraging others to explore who they really are and how they want to create and live a more passionate, more purposeful life. Click here to read her story.
In the midst of all this creativity, Ruth is also the owner of Mac to School, providing customized Macintosh computer trainer for home users and small business owners. For the past 23 years, her patient and enthusiastic approach to teaching has given her students the confidence and excitement to embrace the often overwhelming world of technology. Check out the free video tutorials on her website at www.mac2school.com