WITH ANDREA CRISP
“And I started to learn that part of trusting myself and trusting my instincts and, and really seeing the potential and the possibility in my life was to say, you know what, I’m going to take radical responsibility for who I am. And I am going to shift my life because it’s not up to anybody else. It’s really only up to me.”
About This Episode:
Are you in a place in your life where you are expanding and growing? The environment you find yourself in will have an enormous impact on how far you go and who you become in the process. Maybe you've found yourself wanting to expand but you're not sure what step to take. In this episode I'll be sharing the process that has worked for me personally when it came to growth in my life personally and professionally.
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Transcript
Andrea Crisp 0:00
I'm celebrating a big milestone this year. Now you'd think it was like some crazy big number, but it's really not. But it is my birthday month, I turned 47 in October. And I wanted to share with you on the podcast today, what I've learned this year, and how I really believe that it has shifted and changed me for the better. And a few things that I think will also help you as you are learning to navigate and expand your own growth.
Kate 0:30
You're listening to the Couragecast a show to equip and empower women to live bravely. Each week, we'll share coaching conversations and stories of women who are willing to face their fear and pursue their purpose. Here's your host, life coach, author, and your secret weapon.
Andrea Crisp 0:46
Hello there, welcome to the Couragecast. My name is Andrea Crisp, I am your host. And I'm really glad that you're joining me today. You know what, it's hard to believe that it is the end of October. Like it's crazy to me to think about it. October is always one of my favorite months. A lot of the reason for that is because it's my birthday. But this year in particular, I have been feeling just, I don't know, extra reflective, I suppose about my year, about the growth that I've experienced, about the challenges and the obstacles that I have faced, personally, professionally, in so many ways. And so I thought I would record an episode for you all about what it's like to really expand when you're thinking about making that leap, and jumping into something in your life that will cause you to expand. And oftentimes, I think that is one of the biggest reasons why we don't actually step into our purpose fully is because we're not really sure how things are going to turn out. And what is it going to require? And how are we going to be able to navigate, you know, the different things that are shifting and changing in our lives. Because the truth of the matter is when you are expanding in your life, and when you are in a position where you're surrounded by amazing individuals who are up leveling you in some way, there is no way to stay the same. And that means that you have to figure out a new normal, and so do the people around you. And so I want to talk a little bit about that. And about what has changed for me over the past year, you know, I'm going into a new birth year, I'm gonna I'm turning, while I turned 47. So which is crazy to me, I actually saw that number, somebody had texted me a happy birthday message. And I saw that number and it's like, "Is this real? Could I possibly be 47?"
Like, you know, I think about that sometimes, I'm like, how have I gotten to this point in life, but yet I am so very grateful for the experience that I've had in my life and for having 47 years on this earth and have, you know, my life means something. And that's, I guess, really important to me. But at the beginning of 2021, when, when I was you know, starting off the year, I made some really big shifts in my life. I made, I really made a point of saying that I, an intention really is what I call it, of trusting myself, God, and others to a whole new level. And I think for a long time I had been holding myself back and fearful of the outcome when I would, you know, trust someone or I would, you know, lean into something I was really good at only to feel like I was, you know, not measuring up or being rejected in some way. And so it caused me to close off and to really not put myself out there in a way that I probably really would have wanted to.
And so at the beginning of 2021 I had this idea in my mind and this intention that I was going to learn how to trust myself, God, and others in a whole new way into a new depth. And that is definitely something that has happened. And I was given opportunity after opportunity to grow in all of those areas. And the first one came in the form of friendships. You know, with the Pandemic, proceeding all of that. It was really crazy because you know, you're really in these heightened relationships and then some fall off the board and some, you know, just shift and change, and people are in different places in their lives.
And so it's kind of like sometimes you wonder, "Okay, well, who am I gonna be friends with at the end of this?" And there were times where I lost touch with different people. And you know, you wonder, did I do something, did they do something, and a lot of it really is just allowing for us to experience that kind of growth. And sometimes those relationships come back together. And sometimes they don't. And generally speaking, when they do come back together, they have experienced a tremendous amount of growth, and depth. And I have found that those relationships were the ones that trust was really built, because we were able to see that even though there was time apart, we could still come back together. And there was a deepened friendship there, and a deepened trust.
When it came to myself, a lot of my trust was really around, do I trust myself enough to bet on myself, to risk on myself, to really put myself out there when it comes to business, and to really take those big financial risks and those big business risks. And there was a moment where I felt back in around April, that there was an opportunity for me to take that step out. And it was a bigger step than I had normally taken. And I was like, "You know what, I am going to bet on me, and I'm going to go all in, and I'm going to believe that I can really be successful in every way in my life." And so I joined a mastermind, and I've talked a lot about it over the course of this year, but it really did shift my whole life, it shifted my business, it shifted the way I see myself, it shifted, the you know, just even the people I was in proximity to. And I found myself rubbing shoulders with amazing individuals, that I looked up to amazing people who were making a huge impact and difference in the world and people that I wanted to emulate in my business.
And I found myself having to take bigger steps, bigger risks, because I was around those people. And in doing so, I had to learn how to make decisions quickly, I had to learn to trust, my gut instinct, I had to learn to get over myself, is really how it, you know, all shook out because at the end of the day, when I was learning to trust myself, it was also learning that I did not have to play the victim, I did not have to play a poor me card anymore. Like, look what's happened to me or, you know, I got dealt a raw deal. And I started to learn that part of trusting myself and trusting my instincts and, and really seeing the potential and the possibility in my life was to say, you know what, I'm going to take radical responsibility for who I am. And I am going to shift my life because it's not up to anybody else. It's really only up to me. And so I did the mindset work, I put action in, I took aligned action, I took a messy action, you name it, what kind of action I took, I took it all, because I was willing to try anything in order to see what would move the needle forward in my life. And I found that just by showing up and being myself that I could create something really, really beautiful. And all of that came in trusting myself.
And then the third part of it was trusting God, trusting the divine. And if you've listened to the podcast over the past few years and you've listened to my story of faith deconstruction, you know, I talk a lot about the deconstructing part and about kind of peeling back those layers of kind of religious theology and upbringing and the life that I lead in the church and you know, it is a journey. If you've ever been on a journey where you are, you know, shifting your your whole life, and your religious beliefs and your faith. It is not for the faint of heart. I'll tell you that right now. If you ever want to have a conversation with me about it, please feel free I'm definitely up to talking to people about my faith deconstruction, but part of the process for me was also learning to trust God again, and learning to really disconnect God from religion.
You know, growing up, we talked a lot about in the Christian faith, the church being the body of Christ. And so for me, the community of people, the church was a huge representation of what my faith was. But the church hurt me a lot. And I was, you know, in a really wounded place because of some of the spiritual abuses that happen in my life. So that was really hard for me to separate that from the divine, God, universe, source. And I couldn't really pull it out of context to really, you know, get the healing that I needed. But over the course of this year, as I have trusted myself, as I've trusted others, I've also leaned into learning how to trust God's source divine, and understanding that deepened connection with who I am and who I was created to be, and what I truly believe, because I've always experienced God, in a way that felt really tangible, to me really real. And so I never really questioned whether or not there was a God. But I wasn't sure exactly what God look like, what form does God look like? And I've had to take, you know, all of those thoughts, preconceived ideas, of who I assume who God is, and said, you know, what I really don't know. And my unknowing, I guess, is the way to say it has led me to a deeper connection with God, again, to an understanding that apart from source, that I really am not able to co create what it is that I truly desire in my life, and in my business.
And those three aspects of my life, trusting myself, God, and others have really, really been the expansive part of who I am. And learning that this is a always, we're always growing, we're always on a journey, we don't ever arrive anywhere and just completely say, "Well, I get it. And I understand. And I know, and I know how to trust myself, and I know how to trust God, and I know how to trust others, and I'm in this amazing place in my business, and I don't need in anything else", we're always on a journey to to grow and to move forward. And so if there's anything that has really shown me, I guess, what's important in my life, it is that I stay connected. It is that I allow myself to go deeper into that connection. And I allow myself to have that intimacy and to experience everything that was meant for me.
And it's not always going to be easy. And it's going to come with its challenges. And I'm sure it's going to come with moments of pain and heartache along the way, but at the end of the day, life is meant to be lived. And I think, turning 47 this year, and looking back on just this year, and how expansive my life has become, I sit here and wonder, "You know, okay, well, what is next? Like, what's the next step? What is it that I truly desire? In my life?" I am so grateful for what has happened up until this point, that, you know, what could possibly been asked what could possibly be better than this, right? And I think about that, and I think about really deepening, going to that next level, and saying, "Okay, now that I am in a place where I am allowing myself to trust again, and I'm healed from those old wounds, and I have spent that time to forgive and to come to terms with things in my life, and to stop playing the victim. That now I'm really ready to play full out, that I'm really ready to go in heart open, mind open, spirit open, to really embrace all that life has to offer me. All that life has to give me, and the reason why I wanted to share this with you is because sometimes we only see certain things.
You know, when we are looking at social media, or when we're having conversation, or you know, when we're looking at those little squares on Instagram, but at the heart of everything, I really wanted to be transparent with you about where I'm at, and how I've grown. And, really to the depth, I think that we need to go in order to really feel that joy and fulfillment in life. And that is in trusting ourselves, in trusting God and in trusting others, and allowing ourselves to fully be present in all of that, even if it's messy, even if it's amazing, in all its ways.
So that is the thought that I wanted to share with you today. This the end of October, a couple months left of 2021. And I really believe that, you know, it's not done yet. So there's still like, so much more that can happen. And I love that, you know, I love the thought that you know, like, this is only just getting started. And I'm just so grateful that at the beginning of year that I set that intention, and that God just delivered amazing people, individuals, opportunities, challenges, things along the way to continually grow me so that I can shift and change and become the woman who I really have always desired to be. So friend, I encourage you that as much as you know this story was about me today, that this is also a story about you. Because in order for you to truly live the life you desire, in order for you to be the coach, the entrepreneur, the partner, you really want to be in life to someone, we have to begin to allow ourselves to trust again. And to experience that healing, that forgiveness, and allow ourselves to feel what it is we need to feel in order for us to move into those new depths in our life. So having said all that, I want to thank you for hanging out with me. And closing off this big birthday month. 47, it's good, It's a good number. I'll take it. Until next time, remember you everything you need to live bravely.
Kate 17:42
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Your mindset is your greatest asset! But it is also what may be holding you back from taking that next step in your life. Are you ready to reframe your mindset so that you can step more confidently into your purpose?