Make your Change NOW - For me it was the leap of faith to fransform from the Invisible to the Visible 🚀 What is yours?
As if it was today, I remember the moment when my life changed by the click of a button. In fact it was a day in October 2017, 6 years ago. I was sitting in our home in England, in the conservatory, I was alone, it was dark outside, everyone else already asleep. My husband and our two kids, then 15 years and 12 years old.
I remember feeling a rush of adrenaline going through my body, my heart is pounding faster than normally, I am looking at my computer screen. I hear my thoughts: "This is it Julia. You got to do it!"
As if standing at the edge of a mountain, or the banks of a river stream and the only way is, jumping across. I felt an immense pull. The millions of thoughts spinning in my head, then…..clarity….and focus…..my eyes locking in on the screen….
Diligently listening to this inner call, I clicked the button: Enroll now!
I saw my keyboard lighting up with sparks. ✨ Really, I kid you not. This is my memory.
Something magical was happening. As if the universe wanted to confirm my decision.
What happened! I felt a delicious combination of curiosity and utter fear with a strange sense of liberation.
Let me fill you in
I had just watched a Masterclass of the Online learning platform Mindvalley. Completely immersed in the conversation of Lisa Nichols, a super talented public speaking coach and the Mindvalley CEO Vishen Lakhiani. Promoting the launch of the first ever cohort starting the program called ‚Speak and Inspire’! And since the sparkling keyboard moment I was one of the lucky first people to attend the program. What I did not anticipate was the many layers of this personal growth adventure which was about to unfold! I had invested into my future.
Let me give you some further gist to the story!!
I had just taken the first leap of faith into an arena which was so completely unfamiliar to me. I mean, me speaking in public!! This is absurd. Why would I voluntarily sign up for it? Even though I am an outgoing person, had been in front of the camera for photoshoots I was still the woman who shied away from job presentations or being visible on social media, or having a webpage with my face showing. Why, you might ask. Well, the fear of failure, the fear of being judged, the fear of being rejected, the fear of not being good enough. Let me clarify, so we are on the same page. I do hold myself in high esteem. I know I am worthy as a person, I feel utterly loved and appreciated as a wife, mum and daughter, friend and even life coach. BUT, this is contextual!
Let me clarify even further. Isn’t it so funny, that in one situation you might feel confident and in another you lack confidence. Do you know what I mean?
You know, where I was confidently showing up for modeling castings and shoots, I was terrified about speaking in front of people.
Does that resonate with you? Do you have an area in which you are really good, and then another in which you feel like a failure and you would rather hide and be invisible.
For many people public speaking is one of the biggest fears!
Okay, let’s jump back to the story and fast forward a bit.
As I said, my keyboard had sparkled and I was 100% committed. Committed to showing up daily for 30 days. Committed to taking actions, not just observing and consuming yet more information. No this time, it was about actual transformation. Transformation was promised, and yes, Lisa Nichols delivered.
Within those 30 days, we got to practice becoming visible in-front of the camera. Through kind feedback of the vast group of people in this program we all connected via Facebook. Astonishingly, I kicked my prejudices about Facebook over board, opened my mind and heart, and actually made friends with strangers. OMG, Mama and Papa, you taught me well to not speak with strangers, which has its truth. Yet, in this instance….this special layer of personal growth is based on the friendships I made first online and then later offline. I get to that at the end of the story. Bear with me.
Have you ever been overwhelmed and still been highly motivated because you could feel and see the positive progress?
Every day our group watched the next lesson online, then applied it online. For the first three days, all was perfectly fine. I felt great. Then came the first milestone. We were prompted to submit a video of ourself, explain why we are attending this course and what we are willing to give to the community. And maybe something we need, like an accountability buddy.
OMG, there it is! A huge task. Mega. In fact, too big for some. Some people decided to keep hiding. I knew, if I really wanted to honor my inner calling and break through my old patterns of hiding and quieting my voice. I had to do it. Had to submit my video.
So….20 takes later, I finally agreed with myself, that this last version of the video would be the first video I will make public, well public within in the closed Facebook group. My hands sweaty, my heart pounding…‘What will happen, when I upload it?’
1. Will I die? Probably not.
2. Will I be judged? Probably yes.
3. Will I get any feedback? Maybe.
4. Will I be able to continue with the program? Absolutely YES!!!
Uploading…Done! Result: 1. I am still alive 2. As this was happening silently at other people’s screens and minds, I was fine. 3. Oh hell, yes……and this is another big portion of the beauty of this story…. 4. YES, I was hooked and fully committed (in hindsight, would I have known at this point that the graduation of this programme would be to actually live and in person, give a public speech, I would probably have bailed)
The program was transformational.
I survived many self recordings, uploads to Facebook, countless feedbacks, spend hours immersed in this portal to power and gained confidence, skills and as bonus a tremendously beautiful new circle of friends.
We became friends, because we shared an experience together. We were vulnerable, weak and tearful together. We shared our deepest struggles and greatest moments with one another. Friendship via Facebook, with strangers who became friends from across the globe. Connected by the dream to have a voice which is heard. Connected by the hope that one day our voice matters. Connected by the faith that we are not alone. Connected in appreciation and respect for each personal story. Connected by compassion for the vision each of us has.
Lesson One learned: When taking a leap of faith, it does not feel cool and familiar at first. It feels risky. It sounds like ‚I am not ready‘.
It looks like a see-saw bending down onto one side, fragile in its moment. So that is a leap of faith.
That’s it. All it is.
A leap into the unknown.
Fast forward…I did my first public Speech. Invited real friends to a location, they showed up, supported me. I had rehearsed, I had wrestled with my inner doubts, my fears and What did win, was my determination to have a voice. For myself and for everyone, who believes that they are better of in silence, better of hiding. I felt the support of my new Speak&Inspire Friends. They too were facing up to the challenge and organizing their own little gigs. Angela gave me a tip, which was golden: ‚Julia, remember, some people in the audience will look bored, disinterested & without facial movements! Just so you know, that is how some people look when they are deeply focused, actually listening and glued to your words!‘ I attach a link here to the speech.
Then something even more magical happened. Let’s just call it Time Talks!
With the genius behind the idea, my dear friend Heidi Baker. She manifested a speaking event called Time Talks. From a little seed to a nugget to a live event in March 2018. She had a vision for the Speak&Inspire graduates and nearly 40 women from across the world followed. Her powerful envisioning engineering got recognized by the very people who I first watched in the Masterclass Vishen and Lisa.
They honored Heidi and us Time Talks Sisters for being action takers, for playing big, for showing up and making ourselves heard and seen. We all got to speak in TED style, we are no professionals AND we all spoke from our hearts. This is was an epic ending.
Check out the Mindvalley documentary and see how excited we all are and how we got together.
My Time Talk in 2018: The early beginnings of my speaking topic: ‚My Maths teacher‘ here is the link: https://youtu.be/mAGj-EoeAZI And with all endings, they are only just the beginning.
From here all of the women grew further, expanded their talents and followed their life paths with all the ups and downs. TIME talks, derives from Transformation, Inspiration, Motivation and Education and we did it again in 2019 and again in 2020. Check out my YouTube channel, if you want to see more talks: Julia in 2019: topic ‚The Eye Sparkle indicator‘
I want to express my sincere and playful gratitude to sharing the stage online and offline with all my Time Talks sisters. You inspire me to this day.
Heidi Baker
Wendy Weden
Theresa Destrebeqc
Angela St Jean
Fatima Asad
Trisha Dolan
Jennifer Meyer
Mary Mazurek
Terri Miller
Rachelle Neher
Claudia Esajas
Shirley Ha-Mithani Norma Jean
Andrea Holland
Des Panomitros
Linet Andrea
Brigitt Angst
Angela Sette
Bisa Dobson
Nancy Lee Ma
Caesilia van der Drift
Sheila Sornsin
Barbara Rodriguez
Sarah Purnell
Beckey LeFèvre
Juanice V Bair
Susan Wright
Bernie Bernadette
Angela Nichols
Cassie Moskaus Eads Danielle Scott
Marianne Simpson
Michelle Brennan
Katharina Obelisk Amy Keast Nargis Khamdamova
Carmen Badan
Trish Markawa Sasanna Yes
This experience has led me explore speaking visibly further and deeper: eg.
over 80 weekly Mind You Monday, inspirational videos on social media
Attending Speaking Academy in 2019 by Eric Edmeades to further evolve as a speaker
over 20 powerful interview with changemakers and lightworkers (see Youtube)
online and offline workshops, Embody Radiance retreat days with Dulcie @joyfulmamas
Lesson two: You never know what lies ahead of you, and what one leap of faith serves as. For me it served as a catapult with an immense trajectory.
What it takes is, trust, courage and bravery.
Question:
So what is your next challenge? What is an area in your life in which you struggle? Maybe here is change to grow!
Will you take the leap of faith, when it presents itself.
By the way: Here is an option: You know I am a Happiness coach with online and offline services. So think no further, if there is something small or big niggliing, annoying you or even holding you back and limiting your full expression of self…..
Take a leap of faith and connect with me.
PS: Lesson three Never stop leaping: I have today Oct 2023 signed up for another major program. I am ready for another tranformation
I can feel the tingling, I can hear my inner voice telling me: Julia, it is the right decision.
You got to do this!
This is your next evolution of Self.
Stay tuned. more magic in the making.
Happy hugs, Julia