The Recession is Bullhonkey Kris Story - When I Grow Up

The Recession is Bullhonkey Kris Story - When I Grow Up This is part of The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is Kris Story, and youll soon find out why she called it The Long and Winding Road to Myself. Sunflower Girl Walking on Winding Road by Paula Goodbar Photography The Long and Winding Road to Myself “There is only one way to learn. Its through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.” ? Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist Every life is a story with its own plot, characters, settings, conflicts and themes. In the circle of Campbellians (the bliss followers who love the work of Joseph Campbell and everything mythological) that I belong to, our stories are the lifeblood of our personal mythologies. We make meaning from the stories, myths, cultural behaviors and psychologies that weave throughout our lives in the guise of recurring events and themes. The theme that weaves throughout my many career lives is FLOW. The manifestation of “flow” in my life has many masksâ€"â€"abundance or lack, freedom or bondage (not the good kind of bondage, unfortunately), fullness or emptiness. I’m grateful for every experience because it has brought me to where I am now at 44. I’ve reinvented myself and my career many times over and this trend continues to flow. I’m a scholar at heart. I love learning and have spent many years educating myself in a variety of schools: I’ve gone through massage certifications, a music degree, post-graduate degrees in mythology and depth psychology, and even a correspondence program to study Western Esoteric magical practices, rituals and mythology. All of these scholarly endeavors expanded my perspective and juiced up my creativity. However, my real education was not forged in a university library: I’ve spent my life trying out a multitude of professions. I’ve been a drummer, writer, tarot reader, palm reader, psychic/intuitive, web developer, chiropractic assistant, massage therapist, reiki practitioner, secretary, executive assistant, TV producer, marketing coordinator, email marketing programs manager and a sewer bomber. Yes, you read that right. I used to drop smoke bombs down into sewers to test them for the cities of Carpinteria and Ojai. And, I have always been entrepreneurial. Whether I happen to work for a company or for myself, I love coming up with new ways to help bring in more revenue and customers. I love to experiment. And I need to work in a massively creative, fast and dynamic atmosphere to feel happy and challenged. Until discovering Michelle Ward and her online group coaching circle known as the Clubhouse, I never gave a second thought to the incredible twists, turns and 360s that practically litter the terrain of my life. Until that moment of joining the group, I believed I was forever doomed to be unsuccessful, broke and restless. People like me actually belong to a category and it wasn’t Flake or Jack of All Trades. We’re from a tribe known as Renaissance Souls. Ive struggled my entire life to define my own way of working in the world. I’ve spent countless years beating myself up for not sticking with one thing, as my family wished I would.  And then the epiphany arrived: Danielle LaPorte.  I purchased her Spark Kit on a pay-what-you-can day in January 2012.  I devoured it in 3 days. I implemented what I learned from that gem of an eBook right away. Huge difference in how I perceived myself and my story. I went from $50/hr to $100/hr and didnt lose any clients and actually gained 5 new ones! I figured out how to take what people were asking me for and created a livelihood based on the premise of my desires and strengths. Danielle calls this the “metrics of ease;” doing those things that you are naturally good at. I’m really good at listening to people and to inspiration that seems to flow from the invisible realms. Many of my friends and colleagues have called me an Idea Whisperer: I often go through periods where I dream up ideas for myself and people around me at 4am. The Muses wake me up and I always obey. I’m a Marketing Muse and a Creativity Midwife. For now. A student of life. Always. Another gem of wisdom from Danielle’s book The Fire Starter Sessions is found in the chapter, “The Strategy of Desire.” Every great adventure begins when the hero or heroine feels a longing to move into the unknown. The call to enter the dark forest or the labyrinth or the underworld comes after they realize what they are wishing for. A desire is the beginning of the call to adventure. What do you desire in this very moment? Connect with your heart and you will see that you’ve been traveling your Royal Road to bliss all along. Every experience, every U-Turn has brought you to your own magnificent self. Celebrate that no one could ever remotely walk your path. Kris Oster is a Creativity Midwife + Marketing Muse who helps people get their shit together so they can birth their gorgeous offerings out into the world. Rummaging through her life, both physically and mentally, Kris is writing her first fantasy memoir, My Life as a Mermaid: The Tale of a Rockstar’s Daughter, which will be published in 2013. Come hell or high water. Hoping for high water, which is good for mermaids, and lots of pages completed by October 2012. Kris’ latest offering is the Goddess Guide to Business Bliss, A Digital Sanctuary for Women. With her own material composed during the past 9 months and over 20 contributors, including Michelle Ward, Danielle LaPorte, Tanya Geisler, Alexandra Franzen, Shenee Howard and Francesca Marano, The Goddess Guide to Business Bliss is written entirely by women for women. Pre-order your copy (for only $9) before August 20th and save $41! $4 of each copy sold is going to the charity Yoga Gives Back that supports women and children in India by providing much needed micro loans. You can connect with Kris on her website, www.mythicrhythm.com and on Twitter and Facebook.