Alexander Dunlop
Founder, The Center for Spiritual Nutrition
Some people seem to have a certain magic. A certain charisma, the power to speak in a way that others can really hear it. The ability to pull them in and rile them up. To magnetize and polarize. I’ve always been fascinated by this and wondered, “Why? What makes this possible?” This is what I’ve found. We’ve all heard the adage, “Hurt people hurt people.” Is that always true? Maybe not, but it holds a kernel of truth — that when we take action from an intense state, we can transmit that intensity. What I do know to be true is that, “Moved people move people.” If we want to really impact people, it’s wisest to communicate when we’re feeling moved. Our words still matter, but our energetic transmission seems to matter more. The challenge is, of course, that we don’t all walk around all day long feeling moved. There are glimpses. Moments of joy, grief, and opening. What I always tell my coaching clients, and what I’ve found works best is this: If you’re not moved, get moving. Literally or figuratively. I get my most inspiring ideas on hikes or dancing or in natural bodies of water. I also get them when I’m around people who are touched, grieving, or in deep creative flow. Movement moves us. We are all so hungry to be inspired. To be lifted from the mundane into an exalted state. And we all have the ability to be someone who moves others with our words, our energy, our care — our ability to connect our hearts together for a sacred moment. This is how we move mountains. This is how we create seemingly impossible change. This is how we build momentum and find a way forward. This is real and it works. Recently I guided a client to find a way to “move” herself back into a state of inspiration at the end of a creative launch she was about to give up on. She doubled her enrollment and is now celebrating a very successful program. If your words aren’t landing, ask yourself if you’re moved. And if not… you know what to do. Join me inside Create & Flow and reclaim your identity as an artist.
Let’s talk about comparison, envy and jealousy, especially when it comes to art and creativity. You probably know the feeling, the burning desire to share your song, your voice, your art, and to feel good about it. And then the sinking feeling in your belly when someone phenomenally gifted absolutely KILLS it doing the same thing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I can’t share my music now – everyone here is way better than me!” Or, “Who am I to be teaching this when there are people who know more than me?” And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt small or lame or untalented when I’ve found myself performing next to a musical virtuoso. Or wondered what I could possibly have to offer on a topic where other experts have been around much longer. It’s the worst feeling! And the thoughts that come along with it are so convincing. It seems so real that we should not even bother to try. The truth is, we will probably never be as skilled as some person who is better than us, because we won’t ever catch up to their growth unless they stop evolving. But more importantly, it’s not the point. Skill isn’t the whole story when it comes to art and self expression. The other day, I was sharing songs with a group – next to someone whose songwriting blows my mind (and heart). My guitar skills, rhythm, heck even my singing and songwriting may never be this advanced. It’s humbling to offer music after they play. Afterwards, I expressed how much I loved and felt deeply healed by one of their songs. To my surprise, this person then told me how moved they were by my song. They were truly touched, and tears were flowing. And then I remembered… oh yea. It’s not about our talent. Our skill level. Our status. Being a successful artist is only ever about how many hearts we touch. How many minds we open. How many souls are moved. Including, and most importantly – our own. This is what I remind my clients of every day: That your voice matters. That there’s no need to be “the best”. That it’s time to share when you feel moved to share. So if you find yourself with a bad case of comparison-itis, not-good-enough-itis or plain old jealousy, just remember that it’s all an illusion. The way you touch, move and inspire people will forever be uniquely yours. And that is always worth sharing. If you’re looking for guidance, support and accountability in sharing your gift, join me inside Create & Flow – my free 5-day course.
What I’m about to share is probably the most important piece of coaching I’ll ever give anyone, especially when they feel like they don’t have anything valuable to offer (or that what they’re offering isn’t worth much). It’s simple, but not easy to remember. I’ve found that we all need a lot of reminders! Even those who seem like they’ve got it all perfectly together. So… we all have those ‘lifey’ moments where something ain’t right, or we’re stuck on a big decision, or swimming in a sea of overwhelm. What I’ve noticed is that in these moments, most of us turn to our mentors, our friends, our teachers, and maybe even psychics, astrologers, and diviners, for help. We might even find ourselves telling the same story over and over again in the hopes of finding an answer somewhere along the way. But what I’ve discovered is that the only guidance or advice that usually works in those “make it or break it” kind of moments is the kind where: a) We feel more deeply seen and understood than ever before b) Our truth is uncovered beneath any blinding layers of BS c) We ultimately feel more confident in our own inner knowing The rest gets second guessed, ignored, and discarded almost every time… or worse, if someone actually takes advice that goes against their inner compass, they can wind up resenting the person who gave it. If you’re someone who has got some great medicine to share with others, there’s a better way. It’s better for a couple of reasons: it’ll solve your problem fasterit’ll make you way more confident in your ability to serve, and increase your sense of self worth The answer is this: Take a big heaping dose of your own medicine and apply your genius to yourself. Here’s why. Life periodically throws situations at us that are confronting, where we don’t know what to do or how to be. These intense moments are key opportunities to rediscover our unique magic – which we have access to because *we* need it the most. When we use our own genius to help ourselves, we increase our mastery of the medicine we carry. Which better qualifies us to serve it to the people who need it. (People need our medicine, not as a magic bullet – which doesn’t exist – but as a doorway to their own self healing!) This happens again and again, over and over. We learn, we practice, and we apply it forever and ever. Possibly for lifetimes! If we skip this step, and go on thinking that our own medicine isn’t good enough for us, not strong enough for us, not valuable enough to us – we’ll always feel like we’re “not enough.” Not helpful enough. Not skilled enough. Not worthy, Not worth paying. Not worth paying a lot. And on and on and on and on and on… But when we apply this medicine to ourselves and it inevitably helps us in some profound way, we become increasingly confident, and more able to be of service. So when you are facing down big blocks or despair the best question to ask yourself is, “How can my medicine remedy this? How is it the perfect solution?” And then allow yourself to receive the healing, and take note of how it helps you. I have yet to encounter a situation where this hasn’t turned out to be true. But don’t take my word for it… see for yourself! Reclaim your identity and give yourself the gift of prioritising your self expression. Join me in Create & Flow, a free 5-day course! See you there.
