I'm Having a Baby!

Not really but I have been dreaming of being pregnant, giving birth, or finding babies for the past few weeks.  I know enough to understand that dream symbols are what you make of them, but I was perplexed. Was I wanting another kid? Nope. After the third dream, I decided to look it up and had an 'ah ha!' moment of excited understanding:

"To see a baby in your dream signifies innocence, warmth and new beginnings.  If you dream that the baby is smiling at you, then it suggests that you are experiencing pure joy. You do not ask for much to make you happy. If you find a baby in your dream, then it suggests that you have acknowledged your hidden potential..."

"A dream about giving birth is usually a pretty straight-forward metaphor — you're starting a new life phase, or making a fresh start in some capacity..." 

"You found a baby! Which means that you're making peace with the idea of accepting your own hidden potential and talents..."

"Pregnancy in a dream can usually be connected to something in your waking life that is in the development phase,".... Life changes like setting out to earn a degree, beginning a new career or relationship, or starting a big project can often trigger these dreams — "something that is currently growing and will eventually result in 'a new life' for you."

Well, here's the big reveal:  I am starting a new phase in my life....as a business owner!  For years, I have wanted to be my own boss and be responsible for doing good work based on my values and my vision, but the time never seem to be right.

Earlier in the year, I started job seeking and soon after, I started having dreams of a different kind: that I was going to prison. Now, I do not need to look up what that could mean.  It was as clear as day: I couldn't dream of continuing my work as a fundraiser for a nonprofit.  I'll cover that matter in depth in a future post at some point, but basically, my heart wasn't in it anymore.  I love the skills involved in fundraising and communications. I love the development of strategies to be as functional as you can be with limited resources.  But my role as a development director was just not going to cut it.  I wanted to take my expertise and experiences to another level to help out nonprofits. I also spotted a need for owners of small businesses needing some basic digital presence support.

My dear pal, Shari, and I are accountability partners. She is one of my most brilliantly creative people I know and she has been urging me to strike out on my own for years.  I decided that now is the time for me to be a #GirlBoss and I have launched CTD Creative Consulting LLC.  I provide content creation support and capacity building strategies for small business owners, as well as, nonprofit organizations. I am working with a few clients right now on website content management, marketing strategy, blogging, social media management and board development.

Pinch me.  I love it!

I am also working with a SCORE mentor who has been a great resource of business wisdom and also a fantastic coach. (Thank you, Rochelle!) The service offers the mentor program, training, and access to other resources. I even opened an actual bank account and printed business cards.  This is real, people!

 

Starting a business is no easy task and I would be lying if I told you I haven't struggled with anxiety, fear of failure, self-doubt...did I mention fear?  I have the emotional support that helps me navigate those dips in my friends and my mentor.  I also have taken up some new habits that have made a world of difference, thanks to the wisdom of Rachel Hollis. She produces a podcast that is chock full of good things and resources that run the gamut of every topic around entrepreneurship.

For example, her Five to Thrive habits are now part of my daily life...fifteen days and counting. She also wrote two books that were awfully helpful in getting my head wrapped around some of my 'stuff'.  I highly recommend both her podcast and books! I have felt an immediate difference in how I feel both physically and emotionally since setting up those intentions.  I have struggled with depression in the past and uncertain times are a typical trigger for me, but I am taking care of myself by using these new habits and being more thoughtful when the inevitable 'scaries' come to mind.

So, this is my announcement to the world that I've got this.  I am super excited and can't wait to keep you posted on the developments of this new professional direction that I am taking. If you have any words of encouragement, please share them in the comments below because I can use their magic as I move forward with this dream.  Thank you!

Resources

• http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/b.htm 

• https://www.bustle.com/articles/91968-what-do-dreams-about-babies-mean-the-real-meanings-behind-9-common-baby-dreams

• https://www.bustle.com/p/what-do-dreams-about-pregnancy-mean-when-youre-not-pregnant-7143511

Making the Leap #2

I've come to discover that life is often like a roller-coaster, or in a more accurate case, like the unpredictable spring weather in Rhode Island circa 2019. A couple of days ago, I almost turned on the heat because it was so cold and today, I may need to turn on my air conditioner because it is hitting about 80 degrees with what feels like 80% humidity.

I've settled in nicely in my new home in New England, and now the next big thing that demands my attention: what will be my next professional adventure? Earlier this month, I shared some of my insights as far as my thoughts on the matter, and today, I share another big decision with you:. I've decided to pursue growing my own small business of providing support on content creation.

First and foremost, I thank my dear friend, Shari Getz,  for inspiring me and urging me to take this leap. Shari has been an entrepreneur/business owner for many many years now. I often envied her courage to pursue that professional adventure, and of late, we have been talking about my doing the same. There is nothing more powerful and motivating than having a cheerleader like Shari.

I got to say, this was no easy decision!  I've been doing all kinds of side hustles over the years but never considered focusing my energy on growing a business from those efforts. For the past, I don't know, two decades I've always toyed with the idea of stepping out on my own, but lacked resources and confidence to pursue it. But now I'm at a place in my life where I do recognize the resources I do have access to in order to go for it.

I also want to thank Sally Handlon for our conversation today that helped me make this final decision to pursue this long-simmering dream to be a business owner.

I've been busy making new friends and building a new professional network here in Providence, and in the last few weeks, have submitted job applications for a variety of fundraising positions with some fantastic nonprofits in the area. But a variety of things have come up for me that caused me to pause and really look at all my options. I have come to the determination that I can better serve this important sector of community work by providing my guidance and support using my plethora of knowledge and expertise in pretty much all areas of the nonprofit world.

So, there you have it, my friends. If you have words of encouragement and ideas to access helpful resources, please send them my way by posting a comment below.  It will help me, tremendously.

Let the adventure begin!



via GIPHY