Finding work you love most often involves assessing what you love to begin with. This is a great place to start, but I also want you to consider what you fear doing.

Take a couple of minutes to write a list of everything you fear doing and when you come back I’ll tell you how you can use this information.

The premise of that exercise is that you are likely to find a great deal of satisfaction in what you resist doing! So, take a look at your list. Some of the items may not have relevance to career – but they are still useful so don’t discard them.

Let’s say our hypothetical list includes the following:

• public speaking
• sky-diving
• spiders
• swimming in deep water
• being unemployed/losing my job

Now, we sort our list into 2 lists – career-related and not.

Career-related:

•  public speaking
• being unemployed/losing my job

Not career-related:

• sky-diving
• spiders
• swimming in deep water

 This is useful, since I highly doubt our fear of spiders will lead us to a career path of spider-wrangling!

So, what can we determine from our fears of public speaking and unemployment? Why are we resisting these activities? What benefit could we get from doing these activities?

Taking public speaking as an example, how could you benefit from sharing your thoughts and ideas with many people? How would these people benefit from hearing your thoughts and ideas? What’s holding you back from doing this? After all, public speaking may not only be satisfactory, but even thrilling!

For the fear of being unemployed or losing your job, ask yourself the above questions. Can you see how this fear could lead you to consider starting your own business? For one thing – you’d never be unemployed! The fear may also motivate you to succeed in your new business.

If both of these are on your list, could you envision a career as a motivational speaker? How would this change your life?

Basing a career solely on your fears may not be the best option as resistance to it may cause you to avoid it altogether. However, adding that element as an activity in a career based on what you love may inject yet another element of excitement – taking you above and beyond what you would ordinarily consider doing.

In anything we do, stepping outside of our comfort zone has a great deal to do with our level of success. Facing our fears requires us to step out of our comfort zones and expand our concept of who we are and what we are capable of. Whether or not you embrace incorporating a fear into your ideal work, addressing the fears on your list will expand you and your capabilities.

Take one of the fears on your list and commit to taking a step towards addressing it this week!

Success and joy,

Keena

PS: If you are ready to find the most direct way to your soul-fulfilling career, please visit Career Realignment.

Photo: Sheila Allen, Flickr, Creative Commons Lic.

The danger of picking work based on it being simply something you are convinced you want to do is that it may not be in your future best interest. A job you “want” could be something you just convince yourself you want for more money or to make others happy. You may tell yourself it is temporary but then the next thing you know 20 years have gone by. Now you’re stuck. You may have lost touch with your authentic self and your passions. You have no inspiration, and honestly, life is becoming a drag. Or maybe you try to live your entire life after work and on the weekends. This is exhausting!

If you make your choices from the vantage point of “want” you may be led away from a soul-fulfilling career. If you make your choices from the vantage point of love (especially as opposed to fear), you will be led in the right direction (for you), always. When you choose work you love you are inspired and passionate. Pay attention to how you feel – if you are excited and inspired you are on the right track.

What we love to do is an entire “sphere” or realm of possibilities, and there can be many spheres and overlaps between them. Our ideal career for this point in our lives is often found in a small area of the sphere, especially in areas of sphere overlap. Imagine a Venn diagram.

If we listen to our hearts, we will find that what we truly want to do is nearly always a subset of what we love. For instance, many artists, painters in this case, are convinced that since they love art and they love painting, that this would be the perfect career for them. And for some it is, but for many it’s not. The pressure of having to produce a consistent “product”, which galleries want because it makes it easier to market, may take all the joy out of painting because the artist really values creativity and experimentation. Maybe the work they like to do is very politically provocative and thus cannot be marketed to the point of making a living. However, maybe that artist also loves teaching. That then becomes a career that they want and is a subset of what they love, and is in alignment with their authentic soul-self. Sometimes we have to get out of our tunnel and see lateral possibilities.

ONE

The biggest issue I see with the whole issue of doing work you love, is that people think that they have ONE true calling, ONE true love, ONE thing to do in this world that will make them happy or complete them. Baloney! Says who? Where does this idea even come from? Fairy tales?

People have many true callings, many passions and inspirations, not just one. They could be consecutive or they can be concurrent – often both, but there’s definitely more than one! Some passions or callings are suited to careers and some are not, as in our artist example above.

People think that if they find a true calling it will last forever. But the thing is that love is never stagnant. It is continuously growing, expanding, evolving! When the hermit crab outgrows her shell, she must find another one or risk dying – but that does not mean that she no longer loves her beautiful old shell! She just outgrew it and must move on.

The point is that you change, your interests change, your passions change – so if you need your career to change as a result – do it! Who says you have to have one “perfect” career, forever? That’s way too much pressure!

So, please come to terms with the fact that there are many perfect soul-fulfilling career choices for you. And since you can’t do everything at once, the hardest part sometimes is choosing!

As far as the comment about a career you love not paying, well, perhaps you’re not going about it right! But that’s another topic – otherwise this will get WAY too long! LOL!

Blessings,

Keena

PS: If you would like to get a jump start in your search for your (current!) ideal career, as well as clearing any soul-level obstacles standing in your way, please check my Career Realignment consultation at www.CareerRealignment.com. We have a huge Grand-Opening special going on right now! Regularly $175, now for $100, for a limited time only.

PPS: If you would like to read Tom Volkar’s post and my reply, click here.

How can you possibly sift through everything that’s out there? How do you know what’s relevant? How do you know if it can even help you? How do you get away from having to read everything just to find a wee hint of something useful?  Who’s trustworthy? Which resources actually work? And while this applies to all areas of life – it can be particularly relevant to careers. How do you know if you should settle for any job just to have a paycheck in this time of economic uncertainty – or is it finally the push you need to venture forth into your ideal career?

There is a very simple answer to all of these questions. Your intuition. No need to sift, it’s always right there with us when we need it, it’s relevant, it’s helpful, it’s trustworthy and it’s a resource that will actually work – often showing us ways and means that we would have never even considered had we relied on our intellect alone. The best thing is that we all have it and we don’t require any special training to use it!  

Intuition can present itself as a strong hunch or sign that is unmistakable, to the “small, still voice within” – so subtle and easily missed. We are often so bombarded with activities, worries and entertainment that we are no longer connected to the subtle intuitions. Unfortunately for us they are by far the most common. If we can learn to access this any time we wanted we would be on our way to where we want to be.

So, how do I do this?

Be quiet!

You can hear the still small voice within if you won’t be quiet enough to hear it. Turn off the noise – telephone, TV, iPod. Spend some time every day in quietude, without an expectation of anything, without analyzing your day, without thinking of stuff you need to do when you’re finished. Be in the moment, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Keep an intention of receiving guidance from your inner guide, and just wait for an answer.

If it has been a long time, you may need a couple of quiet sessions before the voice will heard. Be patient. You will get it! Honestly, this is hard for me, but it will happen – with practice – I promise. So please don’t give up too soon!

Also, intuitive information can be presented to you through a couple of different ways – seeing a picture in your mind’s eye, hearing a word or phrase, a gut (or heart) feeling, a “knowing”, or thoughts.

The last type is the most common, and also the most confusing. How will you know it’s not your imagination? Or a negative entity? The main clues are that you will receive information that is short and to the point, and it will not require you to do anything contrary to your sense of what is right (i.e., it will not require you to cause harm of any kind to yourself or others).

Be open!  You will not be able to access intuition with expectations. Expectations limit possibilities. Let go. Allow. Accept what you get.

Brush your teeth! Or other things where the left brain is occupied. The best times to get insights are when you are doing “menial tasks” like washing the dishes, having a shower, driving the car, brushing your teeth, gardening, fishing, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, etc. If you’re in Canada you can shovel snow – still.

Get in the flow! This is related to an activity where time seems to vanish, and is often creative or relaxing. Painting, dancing, designing, woodworking or other hobbies are good places to look for the flow.

Talk to yourself! It doesn’t have to be out loud Ask lots of questions, ask for guidance, ask for help, ask for signs. Ask, ask, ask!!!  You already know, you just need to let it surface in your consciousness. Ask yes/no questions when starting out – it can make things a lot easier. You will know in your gut. Use a coin flip to test it out! Pick a side for yes. Say to yourself that you’ll go with whatever side comes up. If your gut feeling suddenly screams, “Noooooo!” you’ll have your answer.

But it will soon become a bit limiting. Ask open-ended questions and then see what comes up!

Write it out! In your journal you can write about the intuitions you’ve received and the results of the actions taken in listening to them, you can ask your inner guide what it wants you to know and write down the answer, or simply write a conversation between yourself and your inner guide. Or all of the above! Write without editing or censoring is key here!

Go to bed!  If you have been thinking about an issue you need clarification on, one of the best things to do is sleep on it. Mull over all the external information you have regarding the issue, and then wrap it up and put it away. Don’t think about it any more! The insight will come when you least expect it – often while you are doing a “menial task”. Remember to be open to the answer. Often it is not what you expect, and it is easy to let your ego dismiss it.

Just do it! The only way you will  learn to use and trust your intuition  is to act on it. If you receive info and don’t act on it, what good is it?

Luke, trust your feelings! The way you feel is a great indicator of intuition trying to get your attention. Does whatever you are planning make you feel excited and happy? Do you feel wary or “off” about it? If it’s not a feeling like “woohooo! Let’s go!” then it is time to stop before making a decision and check in with your inner guide.

 This is the beginning of building a relationship with your intuition. As with all relationships, it thrives on nurturing and trust, and it takes time to fully develop – no matter how well you hit it off at the start! Keep with it, it is so worth it. And think of all the time you’ll save not having to drown in that sea of information!

Blessings,

Keena

 PS: “The only real valuable thing is intuition.” ~Albert Einstein

PPS: In this article, I am promoting contact with your “higher self” or inner guide. This intuition can be enhanced once your spirit guides get into the picture, and that will be another article.

PPPS: Please keep in mind that you as you develop your intuitive abilities you should star with the small stuff and get to know your inner self before jumping to the big decisions!

PPPPS: Warning against using your intuition in the realms of the unknown: you will always get the clearest, best information when you are asking your inner guide about that which you know. If you start using your intuition about playing the stock market when you know nothing about stocks, you will not receive as clear information. Which means it is open it misinterpretation. That does not mean that the info is wrong, necessarily, but that you can think the instruction means one thing when it actually means another. You must have a clear frame of reference.

One of the best descriptions I have found is from the preface of Ervin Laszlo’s book, “Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything“. It states, “Akasha is a Sanskrit word meaning “ether”: all-pervasive space. Originally signifying “radiation” or “brilliance,” in Indian philosophy Akasha was considered the first and most fundamental of the five elements – the others being vata (air), agni (fire), ap (water), and prithivi (earth). Akasha embraces the properties of all five elements: it is the womb from which everything we perceive with our senses has emerged and into which everything will ultimately re-descend. The Akashic Record (also called The Akashic Chronicle) is the enduring record of all that happens, and has ever happened, in space and time.”

In other words Akasha is the equivalent of Spirit. Laszlo’s theory is that the Universe is not simply a Universe of energy, but one of information and consciousness. He goes on to provide countless examples to illustrate his theory and how it may be the grand-unifying theory that physicists have been searching for.

Quantum physics aside, on a more practical level we can think of the Akashic Records as a kind of library or database. All forms of energetic flux are recorded, and as thought as well as emotion and action are forms of energy, these, too, are recorded.

You have a personal energy field that interacts with the energy of the environment around you. This energy field, your aura, is a data-logger of sorts. It records every thought, emotion, action and energetic pulse that you have throughout this lifetime – and it connects with the universal database. Your soul has a record of multiple lifetimes (chronologically separate or parallel – it does not matter), and everything that has happened within them. These records are what I access to obtain the information you need for your Soul  and Property Realignment or Career Realignment consultations.

Often this is when the moment of panic sets in! “What?!? You can read my every thought, word and deed for any and every lifetime?! What if there’s something really PRIVATE in there – that I don’t want you or anyone else to know about?!”

Okay, slow down! Remember to breathe! The Akashic Records, like any good library or well-maintained database, has security. Your Higher Self and Guides, along with the Akashic Records Guides, show me only what I need to see to help you at this point in your life. No other information is given to me. I can’t just see anything I want to just because I want to – for whatever reason. Only you have complete access to your Akashic Records – and even then your Higher Self, Guides and the Akashic Records Guides may not allow you to see everything. It may not be aligned with your highest path and purpose for this lifetime.

In addition to personal records (for which permission is given), one who attuned to the Akashic Records may have access to other more generic records. Since everything in the Universe in comprised of Akasha it therefore has at some level an energy field and its associated consciousness – and also a Record. This applies to anything in space and/or time, so you can read the records for things like personal effects and properties, or historical, current and potential future events.

Material things can have a history that is entangled with the owner and these energies can be read. An example would be the practice of psychometry, where an intuitive person can hold something like the watch of another and obtain information. The same is true of properties.

Depending on the owner(s) material objects can take on a lot of negative energy. This can continue to permeate it. You pick up on this when you walk into a beautiful house that you “should” like but you leave because it doesn’t “feel right”. 

Personal Akashic Records can be cleared of negative influences – those energetic things that are of no value and are often detrimental to you. This requires a specific type of “security clearance” – you don’t want just anybody to start erasing things in your Akashic Record! And this comprises a great deal of how I can help “clear the way” for you to become unstuck and create the experiences you want in your life without hindrance.

If you would like to get more information about the services I offer, please visit my websites: www.CareerRealignment.com for those who are (thinking about) embarking on a new career path, and  www.ArtnSoulExpressions.com for Soul, property, and animal consultations, as well as Spirit Guide information.

Blessings,

Keena

PS: “As leading physicists such as Freeman Dyson and philosphers of the stature of Alfred North Whitehead have pointed out, even elementary particles are endowed with a form and level of (proto) consciousness. To some extent and in some ways, all matter is conscious, and no consciousness is categorically immaterial. And if so, there is no categorical divide between matter and mind*.” ~Ervin Laszlo

PPS: *Just think about the implications of that for a while!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timetrax/ under a Creative Commons Lic.