Nancy Jane Smith explored the concept of “home” in her Live Happier blog yesterday and it really got me thinking. This sense of “home” is so powerful, isn't it? It's that feeling that we are safe, comfortable, nurtured. There's warmth, acceptance… for me, even a sense of empowerment. These are a big deal – these feelings – as we venture into the world making our Contribution. Yet, it's not always clear how to get that feeling. My experience is much like Nancy's in that sometimes I am actually in my physical home when I am feeling this sense of home and other times, my home does not provide this kind of sanctuary. There are times when I am quite disconcerted, ungrounded, and even a bit lost even as I sit here in my very own house.
Conversely, there are times when I am out in the world in seemingly vulnerable circumstances and my sense of home surrounds me. I might walk into a new networking event, where I know no one, and feel at peace and grounded. I stand on stage while I am being introduced to an audience of 100 or more people and I am centered, empowered, ready to give it my all. What is that distinction between circumstances, if it isn't the actual specifics of the situation? That's what I've been contemplating this morning.
Then I remembered my experience of the Remembrance from the spiritual sales seminar I just finished.
I recall a strong sense of home as I went through the ritual of inviting my gifts to arrive in my body/psyche/heart before I took whatever next step I was planning to take in the sales process. While I am not traditionally religious, I do have a great sense of a Divine source and it was really powerful to tap into that. I realize now that this feeling I experienced when we would go through this ritual is the sense of “home.” Sometimes I am more connected to that source than other times.
So, there's that whole spiritual thing that can take me a long way toward home, even when I am far from my actual abode.
And there's a physical thing, too, when it comes to feeling at home.
It isn't totally required (nor is the ritualistic direct connection to the divine required, actually) but it is really powerful, too. I felt it the first time I walked into the house I live in now. The lighting was warm, streaming through a window. The ceilings were lower than normal, with raw wood covering the kitchen's interior sky. The floors were a warm, golden red cedar. I could imagine laying on them, reading a book with a pillow tucked under my chest for softness. For me, the colors, lighting, and shapes in the space said “home.” They resonated with my own sense of place. This reminds me that the way I set up, decorate and take care of my space really matters. It matters for my sense of home – which matters for my sense of well-being and empowerment. I know I'm not alone in this meaningful connection to space because Victoria Moran wrote this brilliant book called Shelter for the Spirit in which she shares so much of what I, too, feel about the importance of space. Then, taking it way deeper and more scientific, Esther M. Sternberg M.D. wrote a book called Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-being on it, too (which I am still making my way through reading.)
I make a more powerful Contribution in the world – with my clients, in my writing, when I create new speeches and curriculum – when I feel at home.
I don't think these two things sum up all of the ways a person might connect with their sense of home. But I think they are really fabulous ways to honor your desire for that sense of comfort and power. They are things that are available to you in your business anytime you need them. I'm feeling really good about reconnecting with both of these avenues for strength and greatness. I hope they serve you well, too, somehow, as you venture forth in your soulful business.
Thank you back_garage for this cool homey living room image.