Business From A Snail Perspective

Even snails have a purpose, don’t they?  I had been thinking of my business as running a race.  I wanted to cross the goal line.  Of course patience is not one of my virtues, so that did nothelp.  I was grumbling and complaining to my sister, that when it came to my business, I wasn’t where I wanted to be.   I determined, “I must be called to be a snail”!

My sister’s response startled me.  “Snails leave an imprint.  Think about how many lives you have impacted (referring to my past work as a counsellor).  You have made a lasting imprint on many people’s hearts.   Other people are too hurried to take the time to make the difference you’ve made.  You’re thinking of it the wrong way.  Snails leave a trail.  Look at the trail you’ve made in the type of work you’ve done.  Most people don’t want to do your line of work”.

Her statement brought tears to my eyes because, now as a coach, that’s what I DO!  I give space and safety for people to discover their true SELVES and find their authentic voice.  I hear and help them see what their heart really wants!  That’s my brilliance work, and no, you can’t rush the process.  Each person has a pace of their own.  I get the sheer pleasure of experiencing their delight, as they give voice to their heart, and discover who they really are at their core.  Now THAT is deeply meaningful work for me.

My sister’s reply reminded me to value the work that I do with my clients.  Sometimes we forget to honor our own gifts until people point them out to us again.    I think as entrepreneurs we focus so much on “growing our business” we forget that “what we DO matters”.

I got so caught up with moving ahead that I forgot to celebrate the distance I’ve made.  I might not have covered much ground, but I have covered deep ground, which is where the true reward lies.  No, I will never look at a snail in quite the same way again.  Yes, I am proud to be a snail!  Take it from me; value the work you are here to do.  I mean REALLY value it.

 

Doreen Penner, Coach and Mentor, teaches solo-professionals and others, how to have absolute clarity in designing a business around their brilliance so that they can naturally and authentically attract more clients, make more money doing what they love. Doreen is known for “holding space and safety” for clients to discover and explore who they really are, see their value, and to really OWN their true gifts so they can step into their personal power and build a profitable business.

Doreen teaches a step by step system to show service professionals how to make great money doing what they are called to do. You can find out more at www.GroupEdgeLifeCoach.com.