Be on Fire

Hi there! Happy Friday!

I had a wonderful conversation with my bestie earlier, and I got off the phone feeling PUMPED. We are in completely different fields, but there are a lot of similarities in what we’re each trying to build. Creativity, the need for conscious creation, and a business model that keeps the focus on where we want to be long-term. I’m always learning from her about business, vulnerability, and authenticity.

She’s recently revamped the offerings for her online business, Present Moment Expansion, and she’s really narrowing her focus to those people who are ready for what she has to offer. She’s consciously seeking out her tribe and figuring out how best to serve them. It’s incredible to think of where she was a couple of years ago. She’s continued to work toward an approach that makes sense for her, constantly learning and moving forward. Showing up steadily to do the daily things that make a sole proprietor business grow. Ensuring her business has the correct position in her busy life and not losing joy to the productivity hamster wheel.

But here’s what’s really exciting: hearing the passion in her voice when she says about her recent changes to her business, “I come away from these sessions ON FIRE!”

Let’s think about that for a moment.

Think about a time when you felt ON FIRE for what you were doing.

landscape over space and galaxy in night sky

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

Vincent Van Gogh

Many creatives feel occasional bursts of this level of passion and spend much of their time trying to reattain that feeling. Much like addicts. Whether your substance is writing, painting, singing, rehabbing a house…. we are addicted to that feeling of being exactly where we want to be, doing that which makes us happiest. Inventing, making something tangible from our thoughts, our experience and our passion.

The funny thing is, the target moves. As you achieve what you set out to do five years ago, you have to reset and find the new horizon you’re aiming for. Don’t assume that the same type of creativity or work will satisfy you forever. If it does — awesome! And if you need variety to spice it up — also awesome! Do that new thing, seek out the answers to your new questions. Grow and LOVE it.

I hear from a lot of people that they don’t know what it is that lights them up. They don’t have a passion. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. But you can develop your passions any time! Here are some ideas to get started:

  • Consider journaling. Get out a blank page or whatever’s handy and set a timer for 15 minutes. Just write. If you MUST have a prompt, try something like “The last time I felt joyful was…” or “My favorite musician is …” and just go from there. You’re exploring. Just write.
  • Check out new-to-you Facebook groups that make you feel joyful and excited. What are they talking about? Which ones make you want to come back?
  • Create something. Watch a YouTube video on an art form you’ve been interested in and have fun copying their work. You can get basic art supplies anywhere, and that’s all you need to have some fun. The only problem with this little trial is that you’re bound to get lost in a million cool art videos. ALL COOL.
  • Allow dreams. Have FUN dreaming. It is a good thing. “If I had nothing to do in the month of February, what would I do?”
  • If you’re super private, make a secret Pinterest board and just start adding stuff that brings out the magic for you. Is it growing an herb garden? Volunteering at the local humane society? Collecting books to donate to kids programs? Is it the outdoors, or space, or history, or architecture, or engineering, or photography?

Follow that ON FIRE feeling. Be all lit up. Seek that out. You won’t regret it. And the rest of us can’t wait to see what you’ll do.

You can find my best friend’s offerings on her site, Present Moment Expansion, a page about angels, energy, and all things divine. That includes you!

About J.R. Pearse Nelson

J.R. Pearse Nelson is a fantasy and romance writer from Oregon, USA. She lives with her husband and two daughters among the plentiful trees and clouds of the beautiful Willamette Valley. J.R. is always searching for the magic in our world. She weaves tales rooted in mythology, bringing legend to life in modern-day and fantasy settings. J.R. is the author of the Of the Blood fantasy romance series, the Foulweather Twins fantasy series, and the Water Rites fantasy series. You can connect with J.R. and learn more about her fiction at her website. Visit jrpearsenelson.com.