I once participated in a speed coaching circle at a UK Conscious Capitalism event where this was the question at hand:

What is the revolutionary version of you?

I loved this question for a number of reasons, including that my second thought (after, “What an AMAZING question!”) was, “I cannot wait to share this with my people!”  I also loved that the question stunned me into pausing long enough for this realization to creep in: the me of today is the revolutionary version of the me ten years ago.

The me of ten years ago had recently graduated law school but felt like a fake lawyer, with a real J.D., and instead felt a real artist, but with no paintings to show for it (yet).

I decided that to live with integrity and heal (I struggled with depression while in law school) I had to own my truth.  I had to proceed forward by trusting that inner feeling that I had beautiful art within me, even if my attempts for the first five years yielded nothing that matched that inner feeling.  I had decided that this was the way I wanted to live.  I trusted that my life would somehow be greater, more meaningful, braver, more beautiful, more enriched – for me and by me- if I had faith and followed my heart.

Now I am very grateful to the me that stood in front of paper she’d taped to the garage wall, brush in hand, almost scared out of her mind because she thought she didn’t know what to do…but she just started doing the best she could.  I am so grateful to that young woman because now, fast forward several years, and I’ve created many paintings that I love and that others love and love enough to want to purchase as well!

I am also grateful to the mean that didn’t want to only paint, I wanted to create work that brought beauty and meaning to the lives of others.  For the past three years I’ve hit 9 out of 10 of the increased financial targets I’ve had for selling a painting, including easily breaking the $10K mark for a single painting by selling a painting for $14,500 and securing a commission for a second for $13,000. I feel like I am on to something Andy Warhol knew and meant when he said that “making money is an art form in itself.”

The other reason I loved that question was because contemplating this question has helped me make quantum leaps into the mindset of the version of me that is further down the road and thus has a very different perspective from which to share advice about how best to move forward.  I’ve been asking myself “What does the revolutionary version of me look like” over the past few weeks and have found it helpful to apply the question to considering all areas of my life – as an artist, a writer, a teacher/coach/mentor, a mother, a wife, a friend, a philanthropist.  It’s a question I pose also in the context of my finances, physical and emotional health, intellect, and spirituality.

It was the perfect question for me at the perfect time (as so many of them are these days), and I wanted to share in case it’s the question you’ve been needing to ask yourself as well.

If you want to share what the Revolutionary You looks like, I would LOVE to hear from you.  The only thing that gets me more geeked out than a really good question, is listening to other people’s answers to that question!   Please leave me a note in the comments below so we can have the conversation.  Revolutionaries may be pioneers, but even so, we can all benefit from being seen, heard, and encouraged by a supportive community!

Finally, I would invite you to take this question into your next gathering with friends or family.  Conversations we have around the dinner table, with our friends, our partners, our colleagues, our neighbors, our children – could very well be the beginning steps of the positive revolutions we are meant to lead and live into.

Love,

Leah

P.S. If you’re ready to become the revolutionary version of you, this may be for you.