Dear Nurtured Entrepreneur,

As small business entrepreneurs, we are the CEO, COO, CFO, and CTO of our company all rolled into one.  This requires a lot of mental activity and agility, relying heavily on the element of Air, the realm of thought, and Fire, the realm of dynamic action, of doing.

To stay in balance, we need to connect with Earth, the realm of physicality that keeps us grounded and able to manifest our dreams and goals.  As a self-nurturing entrepreneur, it’s helpful to establish daily habits that connect us to Mother Nature and the physical earth.

Working from a soho (small office/home office) and having the energy of a beloved and playful pet on hand can help.  These “in the moment” creatures find ways to interrupt our focused mental activity and encourage us to take a play break.  Don’t say no.  Life coach and wayfinder, Martha Beck, encourages us to play as often as we can:

 

“My ultimate goal for you is that you get so connected to your true nature that whenever you aren’t resting, you’re playing.”

 

 “To thrive in our wild new world, you’d be well advised to play until you can’t think.”

 

Martha Beck

My rescue dog, a sweet Sheltie, starts by sitting next to my computer chair and staring at me.  If that doesn’t get me up, there’s the chin on the knee with soulful eyes.  She wants me to chase her out into the backyard for a quick tour around the premises.  This does wonders for both of us.  The brain has to shift gears to participate, I get to feel the fresh air, listen to the all the sounds of life outside, and feel the earth under my feet.  In less than five minutes, my connection to earth is renewed, my spirit refreshed, and I can return to my work with renewed grounding and clarity.

Here are some other suggestions for getting out of your head and comfortably present in your body during your creative entrepreneurial activities:

  • Visit a part of your yard as if you were seeing it for the first time.  Sit or squat close to the ground and see how many different things you can see in just a small patch of earth.  Name them to yourself slowly.
  • Go to the front door or wherever you can see out onto your street, say hello to the world outside and greet all the natural elements you can see:  trees, flowers, rocks, birds, wandering neighborhood cats.
  • Go into your kitchen and make a cup of tea by boiling water, using loose tea if you have it.  While waiting for the kettle to boil, do some stretching moves.  Appreciate the wonder of the tea leaves unfurling in the water as you pour it over them.

Taking mini-breaks to ground ourselves — like the baby steps we take to help develop our conscious, entrepreneurial business — accomplishes so much good, but only if we are willing to give ourselves the gift.  Say YES to play and connect to Mother Nature at least a little bit each day.  Experience the nurture of being grounded.

 

Until next time …