A friend just recently left his serving job to pursue his acting career full-time, yet he told me on the days he doesn’t have castings, he feels a little guilty – like he should be doing something.
As someone that has always worked from home, I know the feeling.
I mean, we live in a world where always going and “doing more” (masculine energy), is the only thing encouraged, highlighted and rewarded.
So what does the balance between masculine (action) and feminine energy (allowing, receiving, inward focus) look like?
What is the proper balance between rest and doing?
The key is alignment.
Align over hustle. It’s not about productivity – it’s about direction.
What this means is it’s more important that you are following the gentle nudges, urges and ideas from your soul (your intuition), than working yourself to the bone to get things done.
This is why someone who is aligned with their soul (can hear their intuition and then follows each of the nudges - consistently), can send an email to two possible clients and get both to sign up, while someone else can send 40 emails in a day and get no one to sign up!
We get more results from doing less when we are aligned with our soul.
It flows.
It’s easy…. which is how it’s supposed to be, while hustle is hard. It’s exhausting because it’s going against the flow.
But what if you enjoy working?
I know several people who enjoy their work a lot!
They loooove managing their FB group, answering emails and working with clients, baking in the kitchen till all hours of the night, or editing photos till their eyeballs fall out, however, I consistently see them post about getting burnt out.
While their work is definitely in alignment (it’s very obvious these people are doing what they came here to do:), too much going, doing or pushing is actually not in alignment.
In fact, going, doing and creating all the time pushes us out of alignment because then we feel overworked… tired… testy… hangry…we are out of balance.
Remember, your “work” should be fulfilling, not exhausting.
Your work – the work that fills you up, will still be there after taking a rest.
The ideas & inspirations (and amazing opportunities and clients) will still be there because whatever is meant for you will never pass you by. This is a Universal fact.
So, the million dollar question remains, “How much “work” in a day is enough?”
When I was getting ready to go to India in the fall of 2018, I remember saying to my angles and guides, “Well, I can’t be working on a blog post or newsletter while I’m in India as I’ll be away from my computer!” and then it hit me.
It wasn’t about how many newsletter I had written or blog posts I had shared – the Universe and my higher self just cared that I had heard the next step — and had taken it!
And then continued to listen and act.
Hearing your intuition is feminine energy.
Acting on your intuition (creating a video, writing someone an email, putting your designs on paper), is masculine energy.
BOTH are needed —- in equal amounts.
Direction is more important than speed, ie “productivity.”
It’s not about how much you get done in a day.
It’s more important (and more productive/efficient) that what you are working on is what your soul is nudging you to do.
This is alignment.
And remember, this isn’t always “work related” things….
I’ve shared how my soul was nudging me to get into yoga (and the perfect class for me was right underneath my nose).
Or after I watched The Truth About Cancer, I knew I wanted to clear the detox pathways (colon, kidney, liver & heavy metals), and as it turns out, my naturopath was also right underneath my nose (my hair stylist had worked with her several years prior).
Soul guidance doesn’t just nudge you to email someone or make a YouTube video – self-care is in there too :)
Let’s Lift That Veil
So to my actor friend – enjoy your “days off” and let’s lift that veil right now ---- the one that says that if you’re not doing anything (on a Tuesday or a Sunday), that nothing is going to happen in your business… or that clients won’t sign up… or people won’t email you back, share your YouTube videos and more.
We need to stop labeling — or really it’s thinking, that self-care, meditation, and taking time for ourselves is bad…
…unproductive
…“only when we have time for it”
…lazy
…selfish
…not as important as doing or “working on something”
Why?
Because that energy -- allowing/receiving/intuition – is feminine energy and that is what is going on in our world right now.
The rise of the feminine.
The rise of veganism (which is domination of certain animals for their off-spring and secretions that only come from females – eggs, lactation & their babies for future consumption).
The rise of equality between men and women --- in the business world, mentally and energetically.
I don’t push and force my way through life anymore.
I did that for the first half of my life and it only got me so far (that masculine energy all the time was exhausting).
I now lean in to the greater universal energies to support me and I ALWAYS make time to listen to my intuition so I can keep moving forward – not with speed/productivity, but in the right direction :)
Lastly, I can’t tell you what the “proper balance” of action and rest/inward focus is for you, but I can tell you this ---- it’s a lot more rest, reflection and self-care than you are used to or are doing now. I mean, we live in world that has labeled it as bad - unproductive and, of course, feminine!
Learn to embrace your intuition. To trust it. To act upon it (before the “yeah, but” voice of the ego pops in).
Learn to put self-care on your to-do list as much as the other items. This is one of the biggest veils we have, but it’s time to lift it.
If you need help getting started, then check out my FREE 30 Day Self-Care Challenge.
I also encourage you to read the blog post, How Taking a Bubble Bath Brings Money, Clients, Friends, Romance & Opportunities to You
Psssst - Just like in nature, not every day is going to be completely balanced.
One day you may be on your computer a lot, working with clients, be knee deep in flour, whipping up something special for your followers, but just like in nature, it doesn’t rain every day…and it isn’t sunny every day.
It also isn’t always sunny in the morning and then balanced with rain in the afternoon.
So after a full day (or week) of “working”, IT’S NATURAL TO REST – to balance it out with the other side of the coin because if you continue to gooooooooooooooo, then burnt out happens and this is never fun. :)
I love to wake up early and start out my days with some self-care & reflection.
I do some oil pulling, light yoga and Qigong, journaling, and then I drink 3 glasses of water.
I also take a break after working on the computer to meditate — ie not be stimulated by anything! This brings some balance among all the text messages, emails, time on the computer and more.
Basically, I don’t overcrowd my to-do list because I start to feel like crap when I do that. I’ve learned there is no rush! Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished and you (and your body), is nature. Treat it kindly. :)