Have you ever noticed that I rarely (actually, pretty much NEVER) offer book recommendations? I have a really good reason for that.
One of my biggest pet peeves in this community of healing/personal development/coaching is the idea that reading leads to some sort of expertise. Hate to break it to you: reading leads to knowing facts, which is different from expertise. Reading, when we're engaging with it actively, can even prompt inquiry, thought, and new ideas. But that's not expertise, either.
Reading leads to knowledge. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and information. Wisdom, expertise and mastery come from experience: when we practice a skill and directly apply knowledge, we land that knowledge in the body and the energy field, instead of just keeping it in the mind.
Let's face it: the only way to master something is by actually practicing it. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.
To be perfectly honest with you, I took a huge break from reading for the first several years of my practice, and have only just re-opened that door within the last couple of years. At the time I didn't know exactly why reading didn't really feel right, but now I'm able to look back at the trajectory of my practice and say that I intuitively navigated away from learning facts through the lenses of others in order to cultivate expertise through my own experiences.
Instead of reading...
I have spent countless thousands of hours practicing my personal awareness, meditating, developing my intuition and mastering my own energy field
I have offered thousands of sessions over the past 15+ years
I have taught hundreds of workshops, classes and trainings
I have worked continuously with various teachers and mentors
I have attended many trainings, events and workshops
At this point, you might be saying, "that's nice, Michelle. But I learn best through reading," or, "I don't have time to do a practice but I can fit in reading here and there," or "I just started my practice and want to learn all the things!"
Stop. Just, stop.
Reading does not make you a more effective practitioner. Practicing your craft makes you a more effective practitioner.
Here's a list of 7 ways you can practice your craft that will give you MORE expertise than reading:
Take notes/journal. Start recording your process, meditations, dreams, epiphanies, etc. As you build a record of your process, go back and look for patterns and see what you notice!
Do your personal practice, even if it's only 5 minutes per day! In stead of reading before bed, meditate before bed. Practicing your craft on yourself is actually MORE important than practice it with others.
Actually do your craft. Do you want to master healing work? Do healing sessions. Want to master leading meditations? Lead meditations. Want to master teaching workshops? Teach workshops. Just do the thing!
Attend other people's events and trainings, and pay attention not only to what you get out of the training, but the way in which they deliver the experience. Are they effective and masterful in their craft? What can you learn from them that they're not actually making explicit?
Spend time with people who have mastered or are mastering their craft, especially if it's in a similar vein as yours. Mastery and expertise are inspiring, and motivate us to step more fully into our power!
Work with someone who is a master at the craft you're cultivating. Whether you work with them one on one, or take some of their classes, or mentor with them as an apprentice, having this person in your field will support your own growth and mastery by leaps and bounds!
Trust yourself. Knowledge comes from outside of ourselves, and wisdom comes from our inner knowing. The less you clutter your internal environment with other people's ideas, the more space you will have to access your inner knowing and true wisdom.
Do yourself a favor: put the book down and walk away.
...and come do something like this instead!
Applications for I AM Alchemy are now open. Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.
Are you ready to go from being "just another healer" to a Fully Empowered Master of Transformation?
Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020!
