“The goal is not to get a place where everything is zen. But, to reach acceptance that life is hard and that is beautifully ok.”- Shinah

It’s been TWO MONTHS since I came back to my calligraphy business, determined to run it with more freedom and experimentation and joy. 

Many of you might have been  (rightly) wondering, “But don’t you still have to make money somehow?”

And that, my friends, has been the anxiety spiral that has consumed me for the past two weeks. 

Because business is NOT just fun and play… for many creative entrepreneurs, it’s what feeds and supports you and your family.

So this episode is a deeply personal and profound reflection on how HARD it is to worry about money and feel like a failure in business… and the CONCRETE TOOLS I use to help me ride the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship.

1. Anti-anxiety techniques - like tapping, deep breathing, taking a short walk, petting my dogs. When I remember to use them, I remember that I do have some CONTROL over the way I feel.
2. Perspective-shifting thoughts - like imagining, vividly, how I would feel if I KNEW I had three years left to live. Like remembering my best friend who died at 38 and would be so proud of me and would encourage me to KEEP TRYING and experience everything (even the uncomfortable parts), because that’s why life is so precious.
3. A deep sense of acceptance - my current belief is that my infinite soul chose to experience this current human life that I’m living. My soul doesn’t just want the easy and comfortable parts. It wants the hard parts, too. It wants it all… what it means to be ALIVE. 

All of this helps me to embrace the roller coaster and trust that, whatever happens, I’ll be alright in the end. 

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• Join our community of creativity-seeking souls over on Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy

SUBSCRIBE:

• Love podcasts? Listen to The Shinah Show wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!