Bring It, Baby! - Christine Kane

Last Friday was the “Uplevel Your Life” Day at my Wide Awake Weekend event. It was my third day of speaking and teaching in front of a crowd.  My special guest that day was Brooke Castillo, author and master coach extraordinaire.

Toward the end of her session on Self-Coaching, Brooke asked the crowd if they’d like for her to coach me.   (We were co-leading the group up to this point – and when she said this, I was sitting in the back of the room watching all the breakthroughs and loving my moment of being a spectator.)  Everyone cheered, and I was handed the mic.

The first thing that came into my head was this little fear-driven thought about my performance the very next night.  It went like this:

“Gosh, here I am these three days giving so much energy at this event. What if it’s not there when I go to perform at my CD release concert tomorrow night?”  (A few people in my life had expressed concern about my choice to do so much during one week!)

I shared that thought, and Brooke walked me through to the end result of such a thought.  The end result was fear, contraction, and withholding.  (Not exactly the energies you want when you’re singing!)

Then, she reminded me of something.  I believe that what she said changed the lives of everyone at that event. (It certainly changed mine.)  I’m going to write it in my words because I’ll never remember her words exactly!

Here goes:

When you are waiting to see if IT will be there – then you are setting yourself up as a victim.  You’re seeing your energy as something outside of you. That energy – that GIVING – is something you BRING. You bring it with you. And best of all, you CHOOSE to bring it with you.  You’ve barely scratched the surface of all the energy you have to give and all the light you have to bring.  So, rather than waiting to see if it will be there – choose instead to BRING IT!

More of my words:

My blog readers are teachers, coaches, performers, poets, parents, writers, students, entrepreneurs, nurses, trainers, and artists – among other things.  My belief is that no matter what profession you’re in – it’s a service profession.  You are in service. We are all in service.

When you wait to see if the energy will be in the room, or outside of you, or among the people, or if it will just magically show up – then you stop serving.   All the energy you need is in you. You need only to choose to “bring it.” What people do with it is none of your business. Nor does that need to have an effect on the quality of your giving.  Just bring it.

I will close with the words of everyone at the Wide Awake Weekend. It became the mantra:

BRING IT, BABY!!

25 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Susan

    I needed to read this…your words are inspiring me…ready to bring it into service, into the coming months:)
    Thanks!
    Susan

  • Sue Sullivan

    I’ve been thinking a lot about this post, Christine. I’ve gone through 2 long-term illnesses because of pushing myself too hard. I’m just coming out of the 2nd that lasted a year. How I use my energy is really important to me. I don’t want to do this to my body again nor lose the time I did while I was sick.

    So I wonder, how do you know when you’re bringing the energy in a healthy way versus when you’re pushing yourself too hard?

  • Jodi at Joy Discovered

    What a lesson!! This is wonderful. I see myself in your examples, wondering if the energy will be positive or fun at public events, family gatherings, etc. I will keep this in mind going forward. I am here to serve. I have to show up, to bring it. Thanks!!!

  • sue

    Watching the two of you was amazing. You could almost see your energy shift as you decided in that moment to bring it! (Which you did fantastically.) Even the energy in the room elevated in that moment. I used that mantra this week when consulting and it was not only totally effective, but fun! 🙂

  • Deanne

    This reminds me a bit of your post about approval – waiting for others to approve, like, endorse etc you/your work robs you of energy. Thanks again for a great statement, and so concise! Cheers

  • Chrissy

    Inspiring post Christine! You’re a great writer! Well put.

  • Joy

    Thank you, Christine, such perfect timing! Yesterday afternoon I was giving a talk to a group of older ladies about my creative ‘hobby’ and wasn’t sure how it would be received; I read this in the morning and “All the energy you need is in you. You need only to choose to “bring it.” What people do with it is none of your business. Nor does that need to have an effect on the quality of your giving.” just hit home. I gave it my all and was rewarded excellently by their response. Such a great feeling!

  • Carol

    Oh yes! “Bringing” has such an open, free sound to it. Once I shared a stage with a beautiful, storied performer who turned to me and said “you know, none of this is about us.” Now at the top of every set list, real or virtual, is INAY (I’ts not about you). Exactly–it’s what you bring! Thanks so much, Christine.

  • Susan Viljoen

    I am grateful to Emiko for posting a link to this blog entry – wow, is it worth it! Thank you for sharing your life changing experience, Christine!

  • Laura

    Great post, once again. For those of us who teach, it makes me think of how sometimes we wonder how “they” (the students) will be during our class. Of course that doesn’t matter — it’s who we are in the classroom. One result of my being choice has been the elimination of point quibbling. They don’t dare anymore. 😉

  • SavannahFaith

    I have all these abstract ideas floating in my head and every time I read your blog, you make one of them concrete and put it down in black and white. I love that!!!!!

  • Coach T.I.A

    I love the energy that BRING IT, BABY! brings to my day 😀 *grin* I’m writing this down so the next time I wish I had more energy or moan about how tired I am, I’ll know who’s going to bring it and how 🙂 Thanks Brooke and Christine! Tia @TiaSparkles

  • Elaine

    Watching this session was awesome, then seeing you ‘Bring It’ on the Saturday evening was beautiful to observe and to be a part of. I’ve used this learning today returning to work, and it REALLY works! You are an awesome role model and such a generous person – Bless You!

  • Meredith

    Fantastic. I do feel that I am in service — with my whole life and everything I do. Yet I had been putting myself in that victim position you describe, as if I was waiting, for energy or inspiration or outside approval or what have you. Your post was such a perspective-changer.

    I am ready to BRING IT 🙂

  • Wendi Kelly-Life’s Little Inspirations

    Wow, you just flooded me with tears. As someone who has always had “I am a vessel” as my mantra..I think I am changing it.

    Awesome. Thanks.

  • Heidi

    Hi!
    This post was truly inspiring. It also reminded me of your idea of “lack.” No one can bring us or take away from us, we get to choose, decide, be and obviously, BRING IT!

  • Kathy

    Your ability to “bring it” last week in such a tremendous way inspired me to “bring it” every day since I’ve gotten home. I signed up for a weight loss coaching program, I took my first yoga class, I have been taking longer and longer walks with the dog, I have been writing a little every day, I have been focusing on “I am an exerciser” and “I am a writer” thoughts every morning and it gives me a rush of energy, I signed up for your Conscious Creative Success Circle. I feel better and stronger and ready to continue “bringing it.” Thanks for the inspiration, the chance to meet some of your magnificent peeps, giving us some tools to take back home, and showing what it means to truly “bring it.”

  • Anna

    And “BRING IT” you did! This was THE most awesome, thought-provoking, energetic 3 days I’ve EVER had. The energy was amazing and I can’t wait for next year!

  • inge

    and I’m sure you did a heck of a job bringing it =) I so wish I could’ve been there!!! so glad y’all had such a great weekend!

  • sheista

    All the energy you need is in you. You need only to choose to “bring it.” What people do with it is none of your business.

    Thank You! This is where I get stuck in all areas of my life. An ah-ha read for me!

  • Mindful Mimi

    Oh Christine I am BRINGING it with a big B.
    My charity project was approved by the management and ripples are coming and turning into big waves.
    My artsy creative workshops are still going on but have taken a different turn. We are now doing deeper things (like participating as a team in the company photo competition about values and how to represent them with a picture).
    And the creative thinking pilot HR has asked me to do with them is now set for 2nd December.
    And all I want to do is this 🙂 And I love it.
    And all this happened because I did not wait for it to come to me. I went to get it and brought all my enthusiasm and energy and passion to make it happen. And it did.

  • regina

    Bring it… I LOVE that!! A million thank yous!

  • Anke

    This reminded me strongly of another of your posts about visualisation that has changed my life: As long as I visualise what I want for my life, it’s outside of me (or that was at least how I did visualisation) – it was in the future, somehow apart from me, not yet me. In your post, you said ‘just BE it’ – and weirdly enough, it works a treat 🙂 If I AM a successfull author with 2 published novels under my belt and Hollywood interested in buying the rights to my upcoming third one, I walk taller, and I’m more present in myself, as when I am the person struggling to finish the first draft of my first novel ever, visualising that at one stage in my future, I might interest an agent in something I have written. Bring it – it’s in you, not outside, not in the future. Love that! Also love the bit that whatever others make of that does not influence the quality of my It. Thanks Christine 🙂