How Do You Make Space for the Soul to be Heard?

Inquiry is one of my four core beliefs. It’s one of those that feels so fundamental to who I am, how I operate, and what I hope to share with the world, that it has been brutally difficult to write this post because I can feel the heft of it. (No joke I think I started eight different drafts, plus called in reinforcements via the fantastic copywriter I work with — McKella, you’re an angel; thanks for hanging in there with me.)

How I define Inquiry is to make space for the soul to be heard. And while that might sound like a nicety, perhaps even a platitude, when taken to heart and applied comprehensively, it is quite potent. And here’s why.

Whether we consider this for our lives or our business (it’s a universal concept that applies to both), the truth is we are all terribly afraid of uncertainty. As a lifelong worrier and Queen of the Pre-Worry, I feel this so intimately.

Our fear of uncertainty is so great that we clamber for opportunities to hold onto things that feel certain, secure, a sure thing. In business, we create plans. They give us the sense of security and safety that we can beat uncertainty with the perfectly crafted plan.

Starting your venture? Write a business plan.

Creating a new offering? You better refer to your launch plan.

Want to broaden your reach? Craft that marketing plan.

Plans bring comfort and a sense of relief. Plans are linear, directive, and clear. Plans give shape to the shapeless.

And… plans that are born from a place of simply wanting to protect us from uncertainty are bullshit.

Why?

Because uncertainty is not something that can be beat or overcome or ignored. Uncertainty is reality. And the more we refuse to accept that, the harder it will be to make actual progress. If the plans are created from that space in an attempt to avoid or bypass or circumvent uncertainty, then that’s when we set ourselves up for disappointment.

In effect, these plans set us on an arbitrary binary path. It’s either a part of the plan or not. We too easily dismiss outside perspectives and new opportunities when we cling so tightly to a fixed plan that was created at a time when we had no idea what today would look like — even if that previous time was only a day prior! With those blinders on, it is far too easy to become so narrowly focused that we miss the brilliant opportunities awaiting us just outside in our periphery.

However, if we are courageous enough to lean into the truth that uncertainty is inevitable, and with that begin to adjust our plans to include an inherent flexibility, then we open ourselves up to enormous possibility.

Not to make light of the tremendous difficulties 2020 has illuminated, but I do think a gift this year has brought us is a collective understanding of precisely this. We can no longer dismiss the pervasive presence of uncertainty.

So then, now what?

Instead of pretending that uncertainty doesn’t exist, or attempting to pad ourselves from uncertainty with restrictively rigid plans, I encourage us all to hold that uncertainty close, lean into it, look at it, and honor it. Let us fully embrace what is real: We do not know what the future holds.

Then, as far as making forward progress, our closest ally becomes Inquiry.

How can we invite Inquiry into every facet? How might we alter our mindset so that Inquiry becomes a practice?

Inquiry encourages us to pause. Inquiry knows the value of being as a regular interval in the process of doing. Inquiry allows us to harness the power of the present moment, which in turn builds a foundation of self-trust, which then leads to aligned and sustainable growth.

When we arrive at a place where we can embody the understanding that everything is uncertain, then we can open up to one of the most powerful questions: What is my next right step?

This allows us to take an honest look at what is present and true for us in this moment. We can take stock of our current capacity, looking across the spectrum at what’s available to us physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically. And then we make a decision from this place — honoring our present reality, plus any new opportunities that have presented themselves that we could not have previously predicted.

Which then brings me to a final consideration. Most traditional plans, and the S.M.A.R.T. goals we’ve been taught to create, are based on assumptions of some future state that doesn’t exist yet. So then I ask you: How often do you examine those assumptions that are the foundation for your plan?

And this is distinctly why Inquiry is so powerful. Those moments of reflection and introspection and most importantly, honesty are the antidote to overwhelm, confusion, doubt, and the myriad other inflictions that aim to prevent us from continuing on our soul’s path.

Fixed, binary, rigid plans born from uncertainty only serve to satiate the ego.

The soul responds to truth. So if your desire is to lead a soul-centered business or live a soulful life, then you must begin to cozy up to uncertainty, create space for regular intervals for rest and reflection, and embrace the inevitability of change.

Barbara Erochina, one of my dear friends and also one of the wisest souls I know, shared something with me years ago that I still hold onto so dearly: “Our responsibility is to stay deeply committed to our Why and release the How.” The How is where the magic seeps in. It’s where co-creation with Spirit / the Universe / God / Goddex begins.

So dear ones, I’ll leave you with this: may we hold onto the vision of the world we want to create and allow Inquiry to be the compass guiding our every step.