You know how that saying goes: “If you build a workshop, they will come.”
No? Not quite right? Well, it worked for me. I needed to say it this way, because I needed to do it.
And so I did. I led my first workshop: “Finding Your What’s Next.”
Five open-hearted beautiful women joined me in my backyard to dig into the topic of finding their what’s next. And as we began, I shared with them that by leading this workshop, I was — in real time — living my “what’s next.”
For a while now, I’ve held a vision to hold workshops for women online and in my backyard. And so I finally rustled up 20 seconds of courage to stop dreaming about it and got into action. I put a date in the calendar and announced that it was happening — before I was fully ready. Honestly, I really only had a title and a rough outline of an idea. However, I knew it would all come together once I committed to it and said it out loud.
To find that courage, I had to put many lessons I’ve been learning into practice: Don’t wait until things are “perfect.” (Perfection ain’t a thing.) Launch before you’re 100% ready. Start where you are; don’t stop. Or, as Seth Godin says:
Do the work, ship the work, now you’re creative.
Not the other way around.
Don’t wait for it to be perfect.
Don’t wait to be inspired.
And don’t wait for someone to give you a badge or a diploma or a label.
Simply do the work.
Ship the work.
Was I nervous?
Yes. So I called upon some of the personal development I’ve been doing these past years. I reframed my worry by using Marisa Peer’s 21 Rules of the Mind. Instead of saying I was nervous, I started saying to myself, “I’m excited.” I said it on repeat — and it helped. “I’m excited for this workshop and to be in community with these women.” “I’m excited to bring this idea into fruition.” “I’m excited I’m saying yes to myself.” And, “I’m excited that this is finally happening!”
I also called upon Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work with Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. This book and his meditations have had a huge impact on my thinking and being. When I found myself feeling worried about how the event would go, I started questioning that feeling. Was I actually worried, or was this a memorized emotion based on the past? Was my body telling me I should be worried because that’s how I’ve conditioned myself to feel when I’m trying something new and when I’m feeling vulnerable?
Yes. A lot of my worry was old stuff. And so through questioning these feelings and meditating on an elevated emotion instead (like visualizing myself hugging, laughing, and smiling with the women at the end of the workshop), the worry started to lift. I was able to connect to my future self. I was showing up for her. It was about becoming. It was about being defined by a vision of the future, instead of memories of the past. It was about stepping into my what’s next. (More on Dispenza’s work in a future newsletter but if you want to start to dig in, I can’t recommend his book Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself enough.)
So at my workshop...
We sat in my backyard and I shared with the ladies my belief that before we can tap into our what’s next, we need to first know ourselves. We need to remember ourselves.
To remember, we need to excavate. Go deep and connect what’s at our core.
I broke it down like this:
In order to manifest a life we want in one year, five years, ten years and beyond, we need to be able to visualize it.
In order to be able to visualize it, we need to know what we want.
In order to know what we want, we need to know ourselves.
And in order to know ourselves, we need to take the time to remember who we are — who we were born to be in this world.
To excavate means breathing, meditating, connecting, writing, being still, and sitting in silence. Allowing our inner voice to be heard, because it’s there. And we also have a council we can turn to, guides who are here to support us. It’s about tuning in to hear what’s already there. These are all things we worked on together.
Years ago, I started doing this work, and while it’s not always easy (and I have many moments of being humbled and vulnerable), it’s ultimately where I find joy.
Instead of asking, “What do I want?,” I’ve been asking myself:
Who do I want to BE? Who is the person I want to BECOME? And how do I want to FEEL?
Once we have greater clarity around these questions, then we can start to know our what’s next.
We can curate a life that makes us feel joyful and energized and connected and satiated.
Imagine the ripples…
If you’re interested in joining me on one of these types of workshops, let me know. Imagine the ripples if we were all designing a life of freedom, peace, and our authentic truth?
We are here for so much more than things we acquire, labels, or levels of status. So, in your “what’s next,” the question is, who do you want to be? What is your spirit and soul hoping you remember?
When we know this, we know our path and purpose. We know how to live.
Thanks for reading. Keep holding the light.
Quotes from the workshop:
Laurie’s What’s Next workshop was exactly what I needed in this life moment. She beautifully facilitated us, meditatively tuning in to what’s really going on in our hearts and souls. And that couldn’t have happened without her loving, accepting, no BS personality, which created an instantly safe space for us to connect and open up. I couldn’t believe how much was discovered and shared in such a short amount of time. I wanted it to go on all day! I left feeling inspired to trust myself and dig into some new habits. ~ R.R.
Last weekend I attended Laurie Grossman’s “Finding Your What’s Next” workshop for women. It was such a special workshop. The overall structure of the workshop was so well thought out and organized. I went in not knowing anyone and felt a little intimated at first, but Laurie’s warmth created such a comfortable environment that everyone shared with such vulnerability and openness. Laurie asked us very deep and poignant questions that left me wanting to continue journaling at home to go even deeper! I highly recommend this for anyone that is feeling stuck, looking for a life change or values self discovery and growth. ~ C.S.
Laurie Grossman is pure sunshine! She exudes warmth and radiance and has a welcoming, positive energy that is incredibly comforting and inspiring to be around. She has put together a workshop around the idea of “what happens next” in life. For me, this was exactly what I needed, as I prepare for my oldest to go off to college. I had no idea what to expect, but went in with an open mind, and met a lovely group of women going through similar things. Laurie took us through a series of meditations and writing exercises meant to free our consciousness and discover things that we all needed to hear. It was an incredible experience that has given me ideas and motivation to make positive changes in my life! Laurie, thank you for a wonderful Sunday morning!!! ~ A.L.
LGG ~ I'd love to have workshop via Zoom.
I live Ohio.
loving your new pod and your work!!!