*** If you would prefer to listen to this post click here for a 7 min podcast.
Once upon a time I returned from a month long vacation in S.E Asia with an absolute obsession to become an ESL tutor.
I had zero experience in this line of work so I found a local school, took their training course and began teaching adults of all language backgrounds to read, write, and speak English.
One day I had this idea that really excited me. I couldn’t get it out of my head—start a community “Talk group” for English learners in the community to get together once a week and practice conversational skills.
I rented a space at a community center and posted an announcement. And on June 12, 2018…in walks Ferchu Waddoups—an Argentinian woman who ended up hiring me for 1:1 tutoring. We met weekly and became dear friends.
Shortly after I met Ferchu…I lost all interest in teaching ESL. The fire I’d had for over a year was a hissing damp lump of ash.
I was a little confused…where did my passion-driven obsession go?
The answer—It had served its purpose. My passion had morphed into a new obsession—the idea of starting a blog and online business.
I finished up my last few sessions with Ferchu—working on her resume and cover letter in preparation for her applying for jobs.
I posted my first few blog posts and Ferchu read one of them. She said it inspired her to stop looking for jobs she didn’t really want and start her own bookbinding business, an idea she had not been able to shake off—Her company 10 Cups of Tea was born—a stationary and bookbinding shop that is currently selling Ferchu’s beautiful hand made notebooks and stationary all over Alaska and worldwide.
Ferchu is an incredible artist and graphic designer and over the next few years she helped me form the foundation for what is now Kenzie’s Desk. We became collaboration partners and best friends.
I’m telling you this because I often get these irrational desires to do things completely out of my scope of experience…
I’ve honored some and ignored others. Either way there are consequences… when I ignore them they haunt me and I lose the momentum of my creative genius. Maybe you can relate.
When I let myself go with the flow and follow the inspired ideas, amazing and unimaginable things happen.
I meet people who are undeniably soul mates, or I discover a resource I’ve been praying for, or I connect with a part of myself that has blocks and outdated information and resolve to do the work required to become a stronger, wiser, healthier version of myself.
I’ve learned to recognize that these inspired ideas that arrest my interest—are guidance. They are the “breadcrumbs” that lead me home to myself, to what I truly want, and need, to why I’m here, and to who and what I need to connect with to make it all happen.
If you ask my inner logician—she’ll tell you, most often these fired-up obsessions are strange, fantastical, bold, or completely irrational. So I’ve had to learn to ease the over protective naysayer within by reminding her that nothing I attempt in this life is a loss because I glean wisdom, experience, and grit along the way.
Sometimes the things we obsessively desire are intimidating—start a school, build a business, sell everything and travel for a year, form a recovery society, spearhead a community art project.
Sometimes the inspiring idea is a lifelong endeavor—a part of you is calling for permanent change, upgrade, the next level, the new you.
Sometimes the obsession only lasts a few days or weeks or months, but im here to tell you how ever fleeting, fantastical or futuristic they are—you can and should trust them.
Your preferences and passions are unique to you for profound and purposeful reasons.
Our wants and desires—these irrational right-of-ways, as I call them—are the directional dots on your soul’s manifestation map.
They apply to your individual purpose, to your personal evolution, and to your soul’s contract with the whole universe. Only you can accept or deny them. And there will be consequences… either way.
We choose our hard—the hard that leads to regret or the hard that leads fulfillment. Follow the inspired nudges or you forget who you are. Honor your illogical lures or you forfeit your souls GPS.
With daring desire,
Kenzie
Ps. This month’s workshop on (06/23/24) is all about discovering our true wants and desires, opening the channel of our inspiration and honoring our irrational right-of-ways.
Kenzie’s Desk 