Have you ever thought about power animals? Maybe you’ve done a little shamanic work? Perhaps you like the idea of a wild animal of your own, watching out for you? What about plants? Wonder if it can be the same? If I have a flower spirit, it’s certainly Wild Rose. Because every year I’m sure I hear her talking to me.
There are few experiences that move me as much as standing in a patch of wild roses, their sun baked fragrance filling the air. Soft pink petals all around. And those thorns that keep me on my toes. Out gathering wild roses, handling them one by one, I find myself in euphoria.
It’s not a sensory experience alone that has me feeling I'm in paradise. It’s also the voice she uses. Instead of my own thoughts circling round, it seems the words come direct from her.
She meets me where I’m at. Each year she blooms and she goes into teacher mode. It’s not a group lesson. This is one-on-one personal coaching. Wild Rose tells me exactly what I need to hear.
Every day of the year I take Wild Rose tincture. Wild Rose tincture calms your nerves and relieves anxiety. She's great for your skin - she helps reverse sun damage! Roses course through my veins all the time. Always with me, leading me onward. But when I’m out picking roses to include in my skin creams and natural soap bars, she gets really loud. She insists on being heard. She's assertive but she soothes. I love her voice. She’s totally on my side.
In the past, since I had kids, this is the time of year when I'm all stressed out. Every year the reason's different. But it's always now. Then suddenly, this year, I’m more relaxed than before. Sun's been plentiful. My kids are doing okay (but still driving me a bit batty with their arguments). This year's garden's the best I’ve had. I’m doing what I love. I feel pretty good. That doing what I love bit? Growing a small business isn't for the faint of heart. At times I'm reduced to a puddle of panic and fear - even in an uplifting, passion-led business. I know you’ve got your own struggles and challenges that can't be easy. They freak you out. Give you anxiety. You end up doubting yourself.
Wild Rose tells me, in no uncertain terms, not to waste myself thinking in that way. "As long as you have thorns", she says, "you'll be okay". What?! "As long as you have thorns", she says "you must trust yourself". What?! She's firm on this, so let me translate.
Before I share what this all means, let me tell you this is the message I needed to hear this year, right now. And you?
Wild Rose explained that thorns are systems. The systems that let you stay soft, that make it safe to open your heart and keep it that way. Your thorns are your systems that let you stay calm, that make it safe to be relaxed. Your thorns allow you to shine, without worrying your glow isn't real. In short: your thorns make fear unnecessary.
Do you have thorns? What easily ignites your stress?
This is why you grow thorns. It's easier to stay focused on an end goal when you're sprouting thorns. And if you keep the end point in sight, and make it a leader in your life, your thorns will grow strong and mighty. Really, thorns are beautiful. And necessary.
What do human thorns look like? Your thorns might be clearly defined and healthy personal boundaries. They might be the time you put aside each month to read up on changes in your industry. Cleaning your roof without fail, twice a year. Reading aloud to your kids every night. Always, no matter what, banking away 10% of your income. Making a ritual of eating a fancy chocolate bar each Sunday morning so you've got that to look forward to when you're having a craving on Thursday night. You go on a date with your spouse, twice a month. How your thorns grow, depends on what frightens you most. On thoughts that plague you. We're all different. Like your fingerprints, your thorns all all your own. For some, stressors stay the same. For others, they shapeshift through the seasons . Mine have transformed into new versions many times over. Yours? What revs your anxiety? I’m in the early years of my business and that's where my fears can run away with me. And you know what? These fears can come true. They're pretty rational, actually. Lots of businesses fail. The words my fears form as they ramble around my mind? Here are some: Will I make my mortgage payments? Will I save enough for my kids’ education? Where will new customers come from so I can keep on going? Will enough people out in the world get it that my products are special and work? How do I sell when when selling makes me uncomfortable? Will my business thrive? Am I going to fail? Will I give up? Will I be forced to give up? Are people going to stop buying the products I pour my heart into? These thoughts are scary. I REALLY want to succeed. You? What are you scared of?
Do you already have strong thorns? Or do they need nurturing? Have they budded yet? How do I grow my thorns? I keep my eye on the success I want. I set a goal that's clear in my imagination. I set aside some time to imagine my best future. Most people are pros at imagining the worst. So why can imagining the best, really fleshing it out, smelling it, tasting it, hearing it - why can that feel so silly or even bothersome? And then, what are the steps to making your vision real? What can you do to get you there? How do you protect your shine? What is your system going to be? What's your system to stop anxiety? I have every intention that my business will thrive. Intentions alone can't quell my anxiety. And they shouldn't be enough to stop the fears. Yet the Wild Roses told me, in no uncertain terms, I don't have to worry anymore. Why? Because I have a plan in place. A plan with steps. A plan with steps I'm taking. I’ve spent the majority of the last four months creating a plan of how to expand me and my business out into a world that doesn’t yet care a hoot about me. "You have a plan" she says. "So I'm telling you to stop worrying. You CAN stop worrying. Worrying is no longer a useful tool for you. You have a plan, instead! Use it." She's really emphatic. She tells me in as many ways as she can.
Of course, I can’t spend as much time on my plan as I'd like. Nothing's perfect. I’ve got a family! But I do spend time, each and every day, one step at a time. That's my system. Those are my thorns. That means I can safely relax. I can think better thoughts. I can be happy.
Wild Rose has also been very clear I need to keep on taking her Wild Rose tincture every day. She wants me to maintain my studies with her in the off season. And deepen them, even. She instructed me to add strong rose tea into the mix. She's a nag. Every day I go out and every day it's the same: "Have you started the tea yet? No?! You NEED TO START THE TEA! Today." Yesterday I began. I feel it already. Wow. Sipping euphoria. When I told her I'm committed, I felt her tension relax. She has a set of thorns reserved just for me. Like any good teacher, she cares, she excels.
Thank you, Wild Rose. Thank you for being my Spirit Flower.
And thank you for being here with me! Please do me a favor and share this post with a friend who will LOVE it!
All my best to you,
Chwynyn
PS If you're just skimming, vividly imagine the life opposite of what you fear and then come up with a system you can follow to make your imagined life be the real one. Having a system, you can finally relax and put a stop to thoughts of worry. Taking wild roses internally in a tincture and a tea also helps you relax and ease your anxiety. Message me if you'd like to purchase Wild Rose Tincture aka "Calm"
