To strategy or not to strategy? That is the question.
It's arse about 😘
I’ve been following a couple of new peoples’ podcasts and substack blogs. I have been hearing over and over again from them about the importance of strategy, strategy, strategy over the inefficiency of the scattergun approach of ‘throwing spaghetti at the wall’.
Whilst I’ve enjoyed a lot of what they are saying, when I hear the drive for strategy over and over again I pull away. Let me tell you why.
Whilst many of my writings over the last 10 years have been to ward readers away from mind-derived strategies that are founded in a mechanical and transactional relationship with their community versus connection, resonance and alignment, I don’t want to focus on that today.
In this blog I want to demonstrate that strategy is also how I operate my business but not in the way that you might assume.
Someone I’m absolutely loving to coach said to me ‘I don’t know how you make time to meditate. You’re a busy Mum, business owner etc’.
I replied by saying that meditation is essential to my life, and that I wouldn’t be here coaching if meditation were not a major present factor.
When I meditate (in all forms, not just when I sit closed eye), I become present. When I’m present I become available to ‘listen’ and to ‘align’ with an intelligence that is greater than my rational mind. Some call that the Universal Mind, God, Divine Intelligence, Love, Spirit….whatever works for you.
It is in this relationship with my Self (my greater me) that I hear the intuitive pulls. Sometimes those intuitive pulls are clear right up front. Other times they aren’t and they feel akin to a very frustrating slow birth, not exactly sure of what I’m birthing.
Contrary to what we think about frustration, frustration actually has a sacred purpose - it has a desire to shape things differently, to pioneer new ways and to no longer tolerate what is not in full alignment with who we are becoming.
Each time I ride that wave of frustration I sit in a knowingness that I will get clearer and clearer about something that is wanting to be birthed or responded to.
I have been riding that wave of frustration the past month.
I think I ‘have it’ and I have a desire to move with what I’ve seen, then my heart feels hand breaked. If I can’t feel it in my heart there is no way I can move. (Note the contrasting experience here between implementing a mind-derived strategy to following the intuitive pull - when we follow the intuitive pull we have to feel it in our heart to move forward……versus a mind-based strategy which is a thinking experience only).
When I can feel it in my heart the actualisation of that intuitive pull now becomes inevitable.
By following the intuitive pull I have had several significant moments in my business that have completely transformed not only who I am but also many others. I’m sharing here not only to demonstrate the power of following the intuitive pull, but also in the context of strategy - but not in the way you might think because there’s a twist. I’ll get to that twist so hang in there.
When I listened during a walking meditation and heard the word ‘convergence’ in December last year, I could see how several breadcrumbs were now leading me to create and facilitate a new 9 Week Meditation Program. It became so obvious to me for several reasons but mostly because I wanted to support more people to experience the creative potency of aligning with the Universal Mind.
18 people joined that first program in January - March but what I didn’t know was that I would not only facilitate this program, but also participate. As I listened to those meditations I saw a new program for people who I’d coached over many years, and thus the Sacred Leadership Program for graduates was birthed. To be in communion with 17 other people who take unconditional self-responsibility AND align with the Universal Mind each in their own ways as a way of being is heaven on a stick for me.
I am currently facilitating the second 9 Week Meditation Program but this time there are 203 people participating. Can I tell you how in awe I am of that? Can I also share how in awe I am of what people are receiving? We had our first fortnightly group call last Friday and I never, ever expected to see the results that are happening so early on in the program. Pure joy.
And what I also didn't expect in this second series with 203 people was that I would receive a newly refurbished ‘Mastermind’ program to facilitate this year. The sacred nature of frustration has been my doula on this journey of letting go of how I have run the yearlong Catalysts Mastermind since 2013 to how I’m being called to run this newly formed Mastermind - The Breakthrough Mastermind - for people who feel like they don’t actually have an option not to take a risk in the direction of their evolution, who feel like they don’t actually have an option not to experience a very significant life changing breakthrough. This newly refurbished Mastermind will be a co-coached program with incredible people from the Sacred Leadership group who have so much depth and wisdom and will be delivered over 6 months (rather than a year) and my heart feels incredible joy. The actualisation of this is therefore inevitable.
Why am I sharing all of this with you in the context of ‘to strategy or not to strategy?’
Can you see the blatant absence of mind-derived strategy?
Can you see that ‘listening in’ and ‘aligning’ with the Universal Mind is top dog here?
Can you feel that authenticity and knowingness are also boss?
Can you see that I’m on a new growth cycle? The last 10 years has been incredible, and I’m on the cusp of the next 10 years….(and I know that I’m not the only one).
Can you see the creative force of nature of all of that combined? I call that sacred power.
Can you appreciate how immediate breakthroughs and results can be by moving from our sacred power? And yes it can also feel like a slow birth too, until we get really clear. And then we feel it in our heart and we have no option but to move forward with this desire.
And now let me flip things because as I mentioned, there’s a twist.
It’s only after that I have experienced the power of following a particular intuitive pull, that I realise that it’s a strategy to realising what matters most to me.
Let me say that differently.
Seeing it as a strategy comes after following the intuitive pull.
Let me give you some examples.
‘Community’ is everything to me. When we strip the props away of who we believe we need to be and what we believe we need to do, and we do that with others, what we are really doing is walking each other home. We can do this alone, but the experience is amplified when we are with like-hearted people. The community becomes a sacred eco-system, one where the perfect relationships, conversations and creative opportunities are formed.
I have had an enormous desire to significantly grow the community this year.
Did I decide to facilitate a meditation program as a ‘strategy’ to grow the community?
Nope.
It was the other way around.
As I followed the intuitive pull to facilitate this meditation program and 203 people showed up this time, I then realised that the meditation programs are a powerful ‘strategy’ to grow the community.
Am I receiving the new 6 month Breakthrough Mastermind Program because I want to grow the community?
Nope.
I had no need to create a new Mastermind program. How I had been facilitating The Catalysts Mastermind has been awesome. But through the co-coaching model, now the community that already exists gets to be in service to the growing community that is about to sprout. Oooh, look at all that interconnectedness, like a human living mandala. And, I get to play in a team rather than play solo. How powerful is that for members of this new Mastermind and how much fun is it for us to play in a team! I literally can’t stop smiling at the thought. I can’t wait to see what unfolds. By the way it starts 16 October so let me know if you’re curious.
On another note, I have also had people who I have worked with over the years come back into coaching wanting only to work 1 on 1 with me…. and I am deeply loving the experience with them.. But at first I was confused. Why didn’t they want group work?
And then I saw this.
They followed their intuitive pull to have me 1 on 1 so that we can iron out every minute misalignment and open up to the new, just like I have been experiencing this year. One of the reasons for that is that as they come into full alignment with who they are becoming, their community grows. Another human living mandala of interconnectedness.
How seriously delicious is that. If you’re pulled for 1 on 1 work please reach out.
Did I know that at the time?
Nope.
Look at that generosity.
And that’s one of the other points I want to make.
When we operate from mind-derived strategy from the beginning, we believe we know what will happen. If I do this I’ll get that. But when we follow the intuitive pull, we don’t know in its entirety what will actually happen.
One of my favourite A Course in Miracles lessons is ‘I don’t know what anything is for’. It’s true. When we lead from our sacred power, we are playing in the infinite creative field. Whilst we have some idea of what will happen, we don’t have the power to know what will actually happen. For me, allowing the mystery to unfold is what is most delectable.
I hope this blog has made you look at strategy differently. And I really hope that this blog has either created
the conviction to follow the pulls that have already arrived
the patience to surrender to the sacred nature of frustration until you have clarity and that feeling in your heart to move forward
a willingness to regularly listen in and connect with your greater Self
and the courage to let go of mind-derived strategies that in my experience only wastes time, energy and resources and delays actualising that matters the most to you
I’d love to be of support to you.
🌟 You can still join the 9 Week Meditation Program entitled Sacred Power.
Week 1’s meditation is ‘There is a new world coming.’
Week 2’s meditation is ‘Why do you do what you do?’
Week 3’s meditation is ‘Welcoming the unexpected'.
The meditations are pre-recorded. Join here
🌟 Please connect with me if you’re curious about the new 6 month Breakthrough Year Mastermind starting 16 October.
🌟 Please connect with me if you’re pulled for 1 on 1 work.
🌟 And don’t forget to follow The Intuitive Pull Podcast
Love,
Gisele