I’ll never forget the day I read the first email I received from Carol Hess, today’s spotlight. She’d just read the post I wrote after my father-in-law died and her message said, “I just read your Starbursts post. You scare the shit out of me. And that means I need to work with you.”
I sat at my desk moved to tears. Sharing the experience of my father-in-law’s sudden death was terrifying. Had I gone too far, my passion too intense? And then Carol’s email arrived.
It was confirmation that this message which had been there all along in my work was my core message, and it was suddenly so clear I could no longer ignore it. Carol would call this my Soul Story.
And that is her brilliance – calling forth your Soul Story.
The fascinating aspect of this story is that in reaching out and asking for what she needed, Carol made a difference for both of us.
Her work is empowering, but it’s not that she has power to give you. No. It’s more like she pulls back the veil so you can see your own power and claim it. Then she’s right there beside you, not just talking but walking the path.
When I think of Carol, words like authenticity, integrity and courage come to mind. And she’s funny! So damn funny, when we talk there is much laughter of the out loud and snorting kind!
You can get a sense of this for yourself in her teleclass, “Your Soul Song: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle” on April 25th. Sign up here!
She understands the power of the lizard brain, having gone toe-to-toe with it many times and has come up fighting – and singing her soul song – each time! Thank God because she’s now clear and shining as bright as Sirius in the night sky, sharing her gifts with the world.
I am delighted to call her friend and have her here shining in the spotlight.
1. Why am I here?
For the same reason I think we’re all here – to be of service. In my case, I’m here to polish stars.
I remind people they’re stars, and I help them figure out what makes them shine and how to go about shining their own brilliant light. I love being a star polisher!
2. What is your future self calling for?
To sink deeper into what I call my Soul Story. In other words, to surrender to my highest self and live from a deeper place of authenticity and self-empowerment so I can shine my most brilliant light and be of most service.
So I suppose my future self is calling for me to polish my own star, isn’t she?
3. How do you honour that calling?
By honouring the whispers, nudges, and hints that come from that wise place we each have within us. By spending time every day getting still and quiet. By dropping the reins of control and surrendering. I struggle with that last one a lot!
4. What is both effortless and life-giving to you?
Writing. Well, let me qualify that a bit. Writing is always life-giving to me. And it’s effortless most of the time but not always. Writing sees me through the tough times and helps me make sense of them. It tells me what I’m thinking and feeling.
It’s the best way I know for me to drop into my Soul Story and reveal my authentic self to the world. I can’t imagine my life without writing about that life. Maybe it’s how someone who lives alone like I do bears witness to her life. And sometimes it’s how I bear witness to other people’s lives.
5. What do you do best?
At the risk of sounding disingenuous, I’m going to say me. I do me and my life better than anyone else can do me and my life. That sounds rather obvious, doesn’t it? But there is no shortage of people telling us who we should and shouldn’t be, what we should and shouldn’t do, what our lives should and shouldn’t look like. The awful, dreaded shoulds and shouldn’ts.
But here’s the truth.
No one is an authority on us. No one knows better than we do our own Soul Story and how we want to live it. It’s our responsibility and nobody else’s to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and what we’re going to do about it.
6. What is extraordinary about your work?
A wise man told me years ago that I was here this lifetime to learn that the true source of freedom lies in being of service. I didn’t have a clue what he meant at the time. I just knew I didn’t much like that word service! These days, I’m beginning to understand what he meant.
What’s extraordinary about my work is its profound simplicity and power. I polish your star, and I show you how to polish it yourself. That simple act of service (simple if I don’t try to complicate it of course!) sets both of us free. It frees both of us to step into our brilliance and shine brightly. That’s pretty extraordinary, don’t you think?
7. What is guaranteed to inspire you?
Authenticity. Integrity. The courage people display when they take center stage and declare, “Here I am, World. Here’s my power. Here’s my light.” It brings tears to my eyes.
8. What would your epitaph say if you’ve lived life on your terms?
She let her light shine and inspired others to do the same.
Carol is a writer, teacher, and polisher of stars. She wants to grow up to be an outrageous wild wise woman who grows herbs and writes books in her funky cottage on the edge of the Maine woods. She blogs at StarPolisher.com and is offering a teleclass, “Your Soul Song: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle” on April 25th. Sign up here!
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Soul Song, I love that expression Carol, I’d love to join you 🙂
Soul Song, I love that expression Carol, I’d love to join you 🙂
@Jackie Walker It’s lovely, isn’t it? I used to find the word soul too religious, coloured by years of Sunday school and dogma. But now? I love it and have fully reclaimed it!
@Jackie Walker It’s lovely, isn’t it? I used to find the word soul too religious, coloured by years of Sunday school and dogma. But now? I love it and have fully reclaimed it!
@Sandi Amorim
I think I’m glad I had no formal religious/church training. It’s amazing how it can turn you off to something that is usually such a turn on.
@Carol Hess Thank your lucky stars you missed out! Took years before I could actually consider myself a a spiritual being, let alone someone with a soul. So much baggage from something intended for good.
@Jackie Walker
Soul Song is actually Sandi’s phrase, Jackie, but I love it. In fact, I almost called the class that but opted for Story since I’m more storyteller than singer. I think Sandi read my mind — wouldn’t be the first time. I’m so glad you’ll be joining us.
@Carol Hess Was it my phrase? Hmm, maybe we really do have a mind meld thing going on 😉
Just love this idea of having my star polished. Carol’s clarity about this is so empowering. Can’t wait for this teleclass
@saraho Yes! It still amazes me how we can so easily hear and see the greatness in others, but find it so hard for ourselves. That’s why Carol Hess ‘s work is so, so important!
@saraho
So, so honored/honoured (see, Sandi, I remembered!) to have you joining us, Saraho. I can’t wait either!
@Carol Hess Those U’s are really important Carol! 😉
Ah ha, a kindred spirit; what can I do best? Me, of course. Me I can do very well; all I have to do is ‘show up.’ Pretty cool, huh?
@bdorman264 You do you better than anyone I know Bill 😉
@bdorman264
Well said, Bill — the showing up part is important, isn’t it?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this paragraph:
“At the risk of sounding disingenuous, I’m going to say me. I do me and my life better than anyone else can do me and my life. That sounds rather obvious, doesn’t it? But there is no shortage of people telling us who we should and shouldn’t be, what we should and shouldn’t do, what our lives should and shouldn’t look like. The awful, dreaded shoulds and shouldn’ts.”
It does sound obvious, but it isn’t for many! I surely have to be reminded every now and then. I love your message and also your new class, Carol. And I love this opportunity Sandi gave us so that we could get to know you better!
@cakobu Funny how the obvious truths need the most repeating!
@cakobu
CA, I think we all need reminding sometimes. I think the people-pleasing dynamic gets in the way for many of us. I know it does me. Then I remind myself (another reminder!) that the most important person I have to please is ME. So glad you like the new class — I think it’s going to be juicy!
I love this: “I do me and my life better than anyone else can do me and my life.” I have a kid who wrote today about the stress and pain of parents inflicting their expectations and demands upon him and vowed to let any children he has in the future, “be who they are, not who I want them to be.” Wise words, Carol!
@Ellen Berg That is a pretty great line! Maybe @Carol Hess can get T-shirts printed! I’d wear one!!!
@Sandi Amorim @Ellen Berg
I like the idea of a t-shirt, Sandi!
@Ellen Berg
Thanks, Ellen. Sounds like you’ve got a pretty wise child — don’t know if that’s good or not! 😉
@Carol Hess He’s my student; we teachers call our kids, “our kids.” 🙂 And yes, he is wise. Brilliant, but in a crummy situation, and I keep telling him it gets better. Got my fingers crossed for him.
Soul song is something that I hear being sung out loud every day. Love that.
Soul song is something that I hear being sung out loud every day. Love that.
@TheJackB Do you mean you’re singing yours loud and proud? 🙂
@Sandi Amorim working on it.
Sandi, you know to reach out and connect with such beautiful souls that INSPIRE me that I’m indeed on the right path! Thank YOU!
And Carol, so happy to “meet” you here and AMEN to this: “dropping the reins of control and surrendering” – so freeing when we can truly let go!
@MyMiBoSo I have the experience that these beautiful souls keep finding me and then I fall in love with them and have to share them with others!
@Sandi Amorim @MyMiBoSo
It’s a mutual falling in love, Sandi. 🙂
@MyMiBoSo
And I’m glad to meet you! I agree with you, MyMiBoSo. I’ve met so many inspiring people through Sandi, to say nothing of Sandi herself.