Personal Attention
Have you ever been at work and thought to yourself, “What am I doing here?” and literally wondered if what you did on a daily basis mattered? Perhaps it matters a little bit to you but more than likely it matters a lot to your company, your job, your team, that the person in your position has a great amount of enthusiasm for that particular role.
I’d always been in awe of people who knew what they wanted from a young age and ended up pursuing that throughout their career and lives. I wouldn’t say I was envious, because I have always been endlessly inquisitive and always enjoyed learning about new things, but more interested, out of all the things one could pursue in this world, that one knows that they were meant to do one thing.
A genuine interest in people, wellness, spirituality, music and writing was the bucket-full of things that topped my list. Sometimes I thought to myself in my twenties, “Why wasn’t I interested in taking business-classes in college – maybe I’d be a millionaire!” or, “If I had just been good at science, I could’ve been a doctor, or a biologist” or, “If I had just stuck with one thing, I might’ve been able to have my own practice by now.”
But then I sit.
And I listen to what the Universe has provided for me.
And I think about the freedom I’ve been given to pursue and accomplish many of the goals I’ve set out for myself thus far.
I think about the time I spent in Italy and the time I spent in France and all the places I’ve traveled to around the world.
I think about the music I’ve played, the songs I’ve written, the entertainment I’ve provided.
I think about the sports I’ve played, the metals I’ve won, the languages I’ve learned, the music I’ve enjoyed, the people I’ve met, the conversations I’ve had and the stories I’ve written.
I think about the retreats I’ve been on, the yogis I’ve met, the workshops I’ve attended, the certifications I’ve received, the degrees I’ve earned, the jobs to which I’ve contributed, the people I’ve helped, the roommates I’ve laughed with, the partners I’ve loved, and the friends with whom I’ve smiled and cried and who’ve filled my heart.
I think about all the opportunities I’ve had and the doors that have opened because of decisions I’ve made in my life to follow my heart…to follow a path of happiness.
And so there are days when it’s easy to say, “Am I doing any of this for a reason?” But it’s become much less so, now that I’ve been able to choose what I do for a living…or did this path choose me?
Last May, I had decided to leave the security of a structured job to pursue more yoga, more writing, more music, more wellness. These little bottles, filled with essential oils that had been a part of my life here and there for years were continuing to come up more and more into my life, and after years of using essential oils, I felt called to share how they had been helping me. Recently, a meeting with a lovely woman helped me realize that it all makes sense – even on those days where I might not think that what I’m doing is contributing to the world. This is how that meeting went:
“I met you over a year ago and I smelled your Geranium and it struck me so intensely – in a good way – so I bought some.”
She continued to tell me that she had bought more oils and even a diffuser (a device that diffuses steam mixed with essential oils so that it clears the air of toxins, making your home smell lovely in a non-toxic way) since the many months from the first time she met me.
She went on: “But recently I’ve realized that none of it has been the same. I bought them online or from stores – and I haven’t had the same experience as when I met you and I realized: What I’m buying from you is not just oils. It’s your passion, it’s your education, it’s your enthusiasm and knowledge of the products that make them so effective and so nice. So, I’m ready now.”
Wow. Heart – melted.
My mom told me recently that she saw diffusers and oils for sale at a very popular bathroom/bedding store. I wonder if people know that the reason why doTERRA’s lavender is $21 wholesale is because it is native to the Mediterranean. I wonder if they know that it takes 35 pounds of Lavender flowers to produce just one 15mL bottle of Lavender essential oil. I wonder if they know how much doTERRA gives back to our growers and producers of this certified pure oil. And I wonder if they know that a label that reads “100% pure” does not necessarily mean that it’s good to put on your skin, never mind take internally or have around your kids. I told my mom, “That’s okay – anyone who uses them who knows me will hopefully realize after a while that I’m not trying to make a sale – that I’m passionate about informing people about the healthiest version of anything out there – of how most big businesses are out to make a buck instead of educating the public and certainly don’t have their health in mind. And when their store-bought oil not only doesn’t work for them but irritates them more, then they’ll know I’ll still be here for them with open arms to educate them on anything they’d like to learn.”
The next week, a friend asked me for 5 private yoga lessons, I booked a private wellness party, I ran into two people with whom I had meaningful conversations in french, I helped a client with life-coaching services, and a music venue called to book my services. There will always be hiccups when you follow your heart. But I’ll always know that what I do matters…because it matters a whole hell of a lot to me.
Om namah