“Open the safe and take the money” was the original statement from my former teacher and mentor, Moriah Marston. When editing my cards, friends didn’t understand what this meant and I had trouble explaining it. I understood this statement to mean an alchemical moment when all was possible if I was willing to take the chance. It was a significant step in realizing my dreams. To me, this is a powerful card of transformation. What has been your journey of transforming your dreams into reality?
There are times in life when it feels as if in order to get what we want, we have to take on huge risk. It could be a feeling you’ve had for a long time that your true passion is starting your own business. The leap of faith would be quitting a steady job, leaving the security of a steady income. This card could be in reference to moving cross country for a romantic relationship, leaving the familiarity of home, friends and family. There has been a profound cultural disruption from the myriad individuals, including musicians, who have made the decision to stay home.
There may be a defining moment when you know for sure that making a life change is the right thing to do. For me, it happened back in 2010. I had been feeling for a long time that by working full time in public school, I had given up too much of my creative energy. At the time, I remember longing to have my own private teaching studio and play recitals.
I missed the life I had lived in Boston as a free-lance musician. I was torn because I had a house that I loved and the mortgage that went with it. I was also feeling the pressure of saving up for retirement. Moreover, family members expressed their concern that I was contemplating giving up a secure income. We had just moved my mother to Connecticut and were dealing with her upside down finances. I felt it was my responsibility to not add to my siblings’ financial stresses.
I worked on this issue for about two years. One day, feeling like an outlaw, I knew it was time to “take the money.” Yet, I wasn’t ready to outright quit my job. I didn’t have any private students and I didn’t really have any savings. I was confused because I always wanted to own my own house rather than being a renter as I did during my time in Boston.
Moving to Connecticut, I finally had the house but I still wasn’t happy. Being gifted with this outlaw energy helped me find the courage to make my move. It motivated me to seek out a resolution to the question: How could I own the house of my dreams, have a steady income and have more flexibility in my schedule to express my creativity? As a disclaimer, I have met many public school teachers that feel creative and fulfilled. My life just didn’t feel complete.
Long story short, I took a self employment entrepreneurial course through a local business school. It was a wonderful program that offered the opportunity to air all of my financial concerns to experts. The course culminated in a mock Shark Tank. Fortunately, not long after the course ended, another job opened up at school with fewer hours that still provided a fair amount of financial security. It isn’t a perfect situation but it mostly does work. The hours can be pretty long but I get to work with a range of students, play concerts and pursue other creative projects.
Whatever your inspiration, begin by finding the courage that will set you on your journey of transformation. Once I found the courage to move forward, I did the research and took the steps necessary to realize my dreams. Even though your dreams my feel abstract or unrealistic, there will be concrete steps you can take to move closer to “living your best life” as Oprah would say.
How do you interpret this card? Have you experienced an alchemical moment in your life when it seemed like the time was ripe for jumping into the void? What motivated you to take the risk?
For more information about this card deck visit: InspirationForViolinists.com