This week I was on a mastermind video conference with two of my fave entrepreneur girlfriends. We call ourselves the Lightspeed Ladies, partly because of a magical incident we experienced on a canoe trip together, but also because we’ve noticed that huge positive shifts can happen in our lives at “lightspeed”. Yes, we are spiritual and self-development nerds. We especially love coming up with amusing metaphors for life.

Here’s one I shared that they went crazy for, and my client yesterday did too. It’s this:

Your life is a garden, and nothing grows without shit.

Those shitty experiences that you’ve shoved under a tarp because they look ugly, awkward or just make you feel uncomfortable? They are the raw ingredient for your greatest experiences yet to come. Without them, it would not even be possible for you to have greater experiences.

Think about it. Farmers cherish a good pile of shit. Why? Because they know it’s going to help their next crop grow tall and strong.

SHIT is valuable. It’s the rich compost that can provide all the necessary nutrients to grow the awesome things you want to plant in your life garden next.

And the best part is, you don’t have to go looking for shit. Because…wait for it. Shit happens.

But first you have to do something with that shit. If you shove it under a tarp, it won’t break down. It will just stink up your whole garden. To create that magical compost farmers call “black gold” you’re going to have perform some alchemy first by asking yourself a few questions.

Shit-transforming questions

• What were the feelings that came up for me during this shitty experience?
• Have I felt these feelings before? Could this be a pattern in my life I need to shift?
• What stories have I been telling myself about what this experience means (about me, life, other people)?
• When I think about these stories, how do I feel? And when I feel this way, what kinds of experiences do I create for myself?
• What different stories could I tell myself about this event that would feel better and more empowering?
• What did I learn about myself that will help me plant more seeds that will grow the experiences I prefer?

7 ingredients that will help you transform life’s shit into rich compost

1. Self awareness. Was this a one-off thing, or part of a pattern in your life?
2. Perspective. Was it really a catastrophe, or just a useful wake up call to help you shift direction?
3. Compassion. Everyone on Earth is struggling to figure stuff out, no matter how polished they appear.
4. Humility. If you’re blaming someone else, it can be useful to remember you’re not perfect either.
5. Accountability. What role did you play and how can you do better next time?
6. Psychology. How people navigate life and relationships is mostly programmed during their childhood; knowing this can help you not take it personally and be more careful about who you form relationships with. This rule applies to you too. So maybe you should give some thought to your own programming. Did it contribute to this shitty situation?
7. Forgiveness. For yourself and others. Why? Because blame, anger and bitterness will only grow more shit in your life. And, if you think about it, humans are always trying the best they can with what they know, but often fall woefully short of their own and others’ expectations. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying, just that it’s counterproductive to be so hard on ourselves and others.

Whether we like it or not, shit is an integral part of the ecosystem that makes it possible for us to live our greatest life.

There is no greatness without growth. Nothing grows without shit.

All of my greatest realizations happened after a stinky experience, when I got tired of rolling around in it, feeling dirty, bitter and sorry for myself.

The trick is to extract the value from that experience as quickly as possible.

These days when something shitty happens to me, I do my best to yank myself out of the anger/pity spiral as fast as I can, then I hold an intention to feel grateful, knowing that I can use it to grow something even better next time. BTW: That’s not to say I actually feel grateful; I’m as human as the next gal. I’m just saying that I hold an intention to feel it, because I know that will open the door to it happening eventually. And it usually does. *wink*)

Take Action

Use my “shit transforming questions” above to examine any shitty experience that’s still on your mind. You can also share your own personal shit-transforming experiences. And, of course, any a-ha moments you had while reading this post!

Write about them now in the comments section below or on my Facebook page. The fastest way we can help ourselves and each other to rise up is by sharing our experiences! ♡ And please share this with anyone you know who’s having shitty experiences right now, so they can start feeling better, faster.

If you need help transforming your shitty experiences into rich compost, allow me to guide you. I’m a shit-transformation master who learned via the Daniel Son, Karate Kid approach…wax on, wax off. Learn more here.

Rise up and shine as your True Self,

Shawn xo

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