How to Create a Soul-Aligned Business That is Life-Changing AND Lucrative
What if I told you that the idea that you must work really hard to achieve your desired income will actually keep you from doing so? Or that your work is a vehicle through which wealth and abundance reach you, but it is not what ultimately creates wealth and abundance? It probably turns a lot of what you have been taught about work and success on its head, right? When it comes to discovering what business to start that will be meaningful, aligned with who we are, and financially successful, we often ask the wrong questions. The true answers begin revealing themselves when you view the inquiry from the perspective of your soul and the laws of the universe and then formulate your questions from there. Here is an experience from my own life as an example. In 2012, I read Tim Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour Workweek, which outlines how to create a business that provides your desired income without having to work 60-80 hours a week to keep it running successfully; instead, it would take more like four hours a week. I thought, “This is amazing! I know I can do this!” And I set off to find the right niche, leading me to start a themed gift box company called Wild Gift Boxes.
While I had some good ideas, it was not that successful. What I eventually realized was that while my intention was to bring people joy and service through my product, I was asking the wrong question. I was asking myself, “How can I make some money to be able to have this lifestyle I want?” instead of, “Who am I and what do I most want to do while serving others?” Once I understood that distinction and started incorporating the principles and perspectives I share below, I began to create businesses that aligned with my true self while serving others at the same time.
Whether you have multiple business ideas and don’t know which to choose, or you have no idea what your purpose is let alone what business to start, the following perspectives and resources will lead you to ask the right questions so that you can discover and start a soul-aligned business that is both life-changing and lucrative.
The Qualities You Admire in Others are Already Yours
Consider a handful of people, alive or deceased, that you admire most, such as a president, the founder of a company, Jesus, or someone close to you in life. Look at which of their qualities you are drawn to. Perhaps it is their boldness and strength or their deep compassion and empathy. The qualities you admire in them are actually untapped potentials within you. You are just recognizing these qualities in them rather than yourself. That thought of “I want to be like that person” is misplaced. You are already like that person. Those qualities just haven’t emerged from you yet. As you consider what business to start, look for opportunities that will allow you to exhibit and live these qualities.
Soul Design - Your Soul’s Unique Expression
Another tool that helps tremendously is discovering your Soul Design, which we offer at You:Transformed. You may have heard of similar resources, such as Akashic Record readings (your soul’s spiritual perspective), Human Design readings (the energetic bodysuit your soul chose to wear in this lifetime), and personality tests (snapshots of your mind at this point in time). Soul Design explains how your soul was actually colored from the point of inception, which is much more comprehensive. Understanding your Soul Design provides invaluable insight into your purpose, which allows you to discover what soul-aligned business to start with a lot more ease.
Our Nature is to Serve
Ask yourself, “If money was no object, what would I do every day?” You may think you wouldn’t work or would spend all of your time traveling. At some point though, you would want to start working because it is in our nature as humans to serve and be purposeful. This is common among successful business owners who sell their companies thinking that they are done working only to find themselves asking what they are going to do next. This question can also be asked from the perspective of your passions. When you get lost in something and can’t believe how quickly the time went, what is it that you are doing? Are you passionate about eating tacos or discovering new beers? Swimming or going to the beach? Writing and speaking? Nothing is off the table. You might say to yourself, “There is no way that could be a business. I've never seen anyone else do that and don't know how I would monetize it." You don't need to worry about that right now, so let those thoughts go as quickly as they came. Trust yourself that you know what you are innately designed to do, release it to the universe, and know that it will be matched. The universe will provide the opportunities to discover and create a purpose-driven business because you asked it to.
The Question is Not What, but Who
You were put on this earth with a unique set of gifts and talents that no one else possesses. A large part of discovering your purpose is uncovering what your gifts and talents are and how you can use them to serve others. When first considering this, it is common for people to ask, “What am I meant to do in the world?” But the answer lies in asking, “Who am I meant to be?” It is a subtle change in wording that makes a huge impact. Spend some time meditating on that question. Your answer may be a healer, an activist, or a messenger, for example. Once you have the answer, then start looking into a business - “the what” - through which you can channel your unique gifts and talents to serve others. You are here to help and teach people in a way only you can. Tapping into that will allow you to create a soul-aligned business that is life-changing and lucrative.
At You:Transformed, we have a few resources to assist you with this, including our Future Vision Meditation, where you call the future into the present moment, and our Plant a New Destiny Program, where you envision and construct your dream life by asking questions such as:
What would I do every day if I could do anything? Who am I with?
What are my relationships like? What is my body like?
Doing so sends out a strong signal to the quantum field, which collapses as a manifestation into your reality.
Prosperity Consciousness is Critical
At the beginning of this post, I said that your belief that you must work really hard to achieve your desired income will actually keep you from doing so. Let me explain that more. The underlying reason my themed gift basket business wasn’t successful was due to my subconscious belief that I had to work hard in order to make a certain amount of money. In other words, the money wasn’t there and the only way I could obtain it would be to work really hard. It was coming from a state of lack rather than from prosperity consciousness, which is knowing that you are wealthy and abundant before you actually see it. It is absolutely critical to understand and embody this, regardless of the business you are starting. You may have an idea that allows you to use your unique talents and gifts to serve others, but without a prosperity-conscious mindset, you will struggle to see its true success.
What Do People Seek You Out For?
Pay attention to the topics that your friends and family consistently seek your advice or help with that also bring you joy to provide. You might be asked for help with graphic design projects, relationship advice, or financial recommendations because of your investing skills, for example. You may think, “I’m not a financial advisor. I’m an office manager. That’s what I do.” Instead, ask yourself, “What if I spent my days doing this and charged for it because it is an energetic exchange?” It is common to stay with the work you have been doing because you have been conditioned to think that you have to be that person. Maybe you went to school for it or your parents really wanted you to be in that line of work. However, having that mindset will block you from discovering work that truly lights you up. Open yourself to what brings you joy and you will attract the business that will allow you to express it.
Final Tips
I want to end by sharing a few tips to navigate common mindset blocks that come up when you start this type of inquiry:
1. Start Before You Feel Ready
You are actually ready now, but it can be hard believing so because you are comparing yourself to another who has been at it a lot longer than you. At that rate, you will never be ready! Remember that you are designed to do the work that lights you up, so you have already been preparing. There are others who truly need your help right now in this moment. Whether it be a product, service, or coaching program, everyone can help and teach someone else. There will always be people who are not as far along as you in their evolution and growth, just as you are not as far along as others. Don’t let your place on your journey determine when you start. Keep moving forward and you will always be ready to help others.
2. Strive for Authenticity Rather Than “Better”
You may see a business that someone else has found success with and want to copy it exactly, thinking you will have the same level of success. Most often, that is not what happens. Their business and its success are a reflection of both their Dharma and karma, elements that are part of a soul’s path. Yours will be different than theirs. To clarify, there is no issue with starting a similar business. Just make sure it incorporates who you are, such as your approach to life, sense of humor, and unique perspectives. Copying another with the intention of doing it better typically doesn't work. Creating a business that is authentically you is the sweet spot.
3. Avoid Analysis Paralysis
You may reach a point where you have three or four different business ideas and don’t know which to pick. Avoid getting stuck in the question and choose the one that feels most in alignment with who you are; the one that you find yourself brainstorming about most often. Your goal at this point should be to start, not to come out with the perfect product or service. Remember, perfection is the enemy of progress. Put something out there to gain your first followers, who will turn into your first customers. They hold the key to your next steps because their suggestions, desires, likes, and dislikes will guide the refinement and evolution of your offering.
I hope these different perspectives, tools, and tips have shed some light on why you may be struggling and provide you some breakthroughs on your journey. I can’t wait to hear about the soul-aligned business you start!
