The Gift of Pneumonia

Let me fill you in on what’s been happening since my last blog.

I’ve been practicing the principles of Sacred Success®.  And let me tell you, it’s made a huge difference in my life.

Take for example, how my year began…with a nasty case of Pneumonia that wouldn’t respond to antibiotics.

I had just hired a highly skilled team. We set a series of deadlines….none of which I’d be able to meet.

BSS (Before Sacred Success®), I would’ve gone into a tizzy of ‘why me,’ bemoaning my bad luck, angry over the distractions, feeling like a looser

But instead of cursing the circumstances, I looked through the lens of Sacred Success®.

What I saw:  it was time to Surrender.  I knew Surrender was critical to Sacred Success®. But, hey,  I already did it (see Sweet ? Surrender).

However, as I was learning, Surrender  is not a one (or two) time event, but an ongoing occurrence.

Sacred Success® is an intricate dance of moving forward in Disciplined Action, then stepping back in Receptive Surrender.  The signs indicating when to change steps are subtle at first. Clearly I wasn’t paying attention.

Pneumonia forced me to cancel everything.    And, as Sacred Success® insists,  I did so without judgment.

In Sacred Success®, nothing is ‘bad’ or ‘good’; ‘positive’ or  ‘negative.’  Everything  that happens is a source of information regarding our next step.

As I began mining the pneumonia for the message it had for me,  I quickly stumbled on the Mother Lode.

“I’m actually enjoying doing what I never let myself do…stay in bed,” I wrote in my journal.

Here’s what was amazing.  Even while bed ridden, I was still quite productive. I designed a new course, reworked copy on my website, had some fabulous conversations, attracted several amazing opportunities, took on new coaching clients. All in my pjs, punctuated with long periods of rest, happy as can be.

Then I realized what happened:  As soon as  I created my team, I slipped into busyness. It’s what I always do when I get focused.

Unconsciously, I’ve just assumed building a business meant crammed calendars, constant motion, lack of freedom, pressure to produce. No wonder, at some point, I always burned out…or lost interest.

But, I wondered, how do you play full out without going into over-drive?

My Pneumonia gave me another option and the permission to pursue it.  The message: It’s ok to be still, to block out lots of  unstructured time. It’s good for my creativity!

Guess what happened when I shared this finding with each member of my team, asking for their support in preserving my downtime?  My health began to improve.

Believe me, it hasn’t been easy. Maintaining blank space goes against my very nature, like a shark whose internal sonar system won’t let it stop swimming.

But this time, I want to be productive from a state of rest and peace, not from intensity and frenzy.

I’ll keep you posted on how it’s working!

Comments & Feedback

  • laurie cooke

    dearest barbara. well and truely bragged… yes…yes yes

  • Steph

    Hi Barbara,
    This was so helpful to read. I’ve been feeling frustrated at the signs I was getting to go back into surrender and take more time off. I mean, come on–more time? I was feeling a little like a failure.

    But now I see it is a dynamic process that I will return to again and again–especially since I, too, desire to “be productive from a state of rest and peace, not from intensity and frenzy”.

    Thank you so much for your wisdom and example.

  • Dear Barbara,

    after years with your books I am finally on my way. And it all happened thanks to pneumonia…I was suffering from it for six weeks and the wonderful doctor of our son did cure me with homeopathy. She addressed my breathing difficulty, when we were at her office for a different reason…Now it seems like the treatment anchored all the things I read in your books in my body. I struggled for years and now all this “out of the blue” stuff starts to happen.

    Thank you (and her and pneumonia and God) so much.

    Love,

    Susanne

  • Thanks, Barbara!

    It is time for another quantum jump. I am grateful to have you as a beacon to inspire me!

    Heather

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Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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