like the path I had started to take, then plain and simple, you need to hatch. Looking back now, there were plenty of signs that my soul was seeking something new.
For me, the signs began with the unusually strong feeling of hope that came over me as I was compiling my list of New Year’s resolutions. Even though I had no idea what the coming year would bring, I felt a spark of excitement. Somehow, this year would be different. I felt that this was going to be the year for me. There was no way for me to know the journey of self-discovery that would unfold as I followed my heart’s direction. I had no idea that it was my time to hatch. There was no way to know that what would be different this year was me!
If you asked any of my friends and work colleagues, they would say that I was meant to be a fundraiser because I have worked for some amazing organizations and raised millions of dollars. However, I have since found that fundraising is not the only thing that I was purposed to do. To be honest, I am not sure if fundraising was ever the path I was meant to follow, even though I was more than capable to do the job.
As I continue to grow and learn while experiencing the phenomenon called life, I share this lesson as a result of my continual process and understanding of hatching. I am not sure that we as individuals are purposed to do something just because we are good at it. More so, I am inclined to believe that there are many things that we are called to do if we want to live our most fulfilled lives.
For example, my fundraising has impacted the futures of children and countless of people around the world, and I am very proud of all that I have done. However, I know also that I was purposed to be a mother, wife, and mentor and to play many other roles. Even though I have encountered these responsibilities at different seasons of my life, they have all been a part of my pathway to purpose.
This process can be compared to a bird that begins its life as a newborn baby, but ultimately grows through various stages. We are all called to transform and grow from one stage to the next. And, most likely, you will receive a signal, either internally or externally, when it is time to move out of your comfort zone or protective space. Motivational speaker Leslie Calvin “Les” Brown once said, “If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside of your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.” I wholeheartedly agree.
“If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness.”
—Les Brown
The process of hatching is about accepting the call of your next purpose. It is about:
•Recognizing when the time is right to move out of your comfort zone.
•Self-discovery and learning the move is just one level up at a time.
•Intuition and responsiveness to the spirit inside of you to be all that you were created to be.
I love the army’s affirmation, “Be All That You Can Be.” To me, that’s exactly what it means to hatch! You are allowing a space that has become restricted to open up for the possibility of more. You are tapping into the special place in your mind that ignites the desire to break the shells of limitations, fears, doubts, and restrictions to become the best version of yourself.
One of the key indicators that you may be entering a season of hatching is that you begin to experience a sense of dissatisfaction with your current status. This can happen all of a sudden, or perhaps you feel it beginning to brew over time, but somehow you start to feel as if something is missing or needs to change.
I clearly recall when I first entered the place of hatching and how I was confronted with feelings of duality. Even though I had a full load of A-list clients and was indeed an expert in my field, there was still a nagging truth that I had to face. All of a sudden, I felt as if there was something missing in my day-to-day routine. I started having an ongoing internal conversation with myself that always ended with, I know that there is more I should be doing. And, even if I did not say it out loud, I was growing weary of knowing that, while I was safe in my egg, I wasn’t feeling fulfilled.
Since I could not put my finger on exactly what was happening to me, I did not try to break free for quite a while. But the more things stayed the same, the more I felt the growing need for something to break up the monotony. Actually, I began to feel stranded inside a world in which I had once been so free!
What do you do when you are feeling stuck? I am sure that quite a few folks have had this feeling on the road to success, and they may offer several different roadmaps for getting loose. But, in hindsight, there were a few things that I did (and still do) when I realized that it was time for me to hatch. Following are my suggestions:
•Accept and acknowledge where you are, so you are able to move forward. Feeling stuck does not feel good. It is even slightly embarrassing to admit, because, doesn’t everyone want to appear like they have it all together? But the truth is, we all feel stuck at some point in our lives. Understanding and accepting that reality will help you get unstuck.
•Feeling stuck is internal. It is your perception…and what I love about perception is that, when you change how you see things, things begin to change. You have to take responsibility for your life.
•Become still. Consider all that you are dealing with and what you have a desire to do. You may come to a point where you realize that your life is about to change, perhaps dramatically. During a hatching stage, we have to find time to be still and listen to our inner selves. There’s a transformation happening. Your frustration of immobilization is part of the opening to freedom.
•Prepare to choose wisely; do not rush. In this time of searching your inner self, you are on the way to deciding what comes next. There were a lot of moments when I sat and stared at my journal, simply considering the possibilities of what could be missing from my life and what was going on inside of my head. I was not sure what was I looking for, so I could not be in a rush, even though I did not like living with the feeling of uncertainty.
•It is not just about you. Realize that when hatching happens and urges you to press forward, it is not just about personal gain. It is because a greater need is being fulfilled through you. True fulfillment is connected to something bigger than you.
As I was going through all of these feelings and inward journeys, I felt like a baby bird stuck at the bottom of my shell. I felt so many different emotions. As comfortable as I was with my assured A-list of clients, there was something inside me itching to come out. I decided I needed to break away from fundraising full-time to give space to my creativity, passions, and dreams.
What would hatching be like for you? What makes you feel the need to break away? If you allowed yourself to leave your place of comfort to get the life of fulfillment that most of us seek, what would you be doing? What is stopping you from moving in that direction? The honest answer may be that you are doing what you have to because you do not see the path to get to your passion project. Hatching is taking the first step of believing that you can and should pursue your passions.
I remember talking to my sister-friend Patrice Greer about this unusual and very uncomfortable time in my life. My life ambitions seemed perfectly normal to her, but I told her I felt dark and empty inside, with thoughts that were nearly crippling me. A few days later, she sent me a song by India Arie called “Break the Shell.” I could not believe it—India was singing the words and describing exactly what I needed to set myself free. I must have listened to the song fifty times that day alone. It became my anthem for the next year of my life.
Although the process of hatching is one that can be scary, it is also liberating and completely fulfilling. As I listened to the words of that song, I realized that
