Hey friend,

Have you ever sat down to work on that important project—the one that's supposed to move your career or business forward—and felt a strange mix of urgency and emptiness? That was me, staring at my manuscript, three cups of coffee deep, wondering why the words wouldn't flow.

The Coffee-Fueled Urgency Trap

Picture this: It's 3 PM. I'm hunched over my laptop, jaw clenched, forehead creased. My office is quiet, but my mind is loud with thoughts like:

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"If I just finish this book, then I'll finally be successful."

"If I make more money, then I'll be enough."

"I need to hurry. I'm falling behind."

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With each passing hour, I drank more coffee, worked faster, and accomplished... absolutely nothing worthwhile. The more desperately I tried to create, the less inspired I became.

Does that sound familiar? I bet it might.

The Moment Everything Changed

The following day, exhausted and frustrated, I asked myself a simple question:

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"On whose behalf am I creating this? The part of me that feels lack, or the part that knows I'm already whole?"

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The answer was illuminating. I realized I was creating from a place of:

• Fear of not being enough
• Urgency to "get there" fast
• Self-absorption rather than service
• Scarcity rather than abundance

No wonder nothing good was emerging—I was trying to fill a hole that external success could never fill.

Two Different Ways to Work

As Rumi says, we are not a drop in the ocean, we are the ocean in a drop.

We're not these separate little fragments apart from everyone and everything in this giant, vast cosmos. The universe is one whole, and we are that.

It's much easier for the universe to fulfill impersonal desires that arise on behalf of the whole than to fulfill personal desires that arise on behalf of a little fragment that feels isolated and separate from everyone and everything.

I started to map out what happens when I create from lack versus wholeness:

Creating from Lack:

• Wake up with low-grade panic
• Work feverishly but make little real progress
• Focus on what I need rather than what others need
• Hide from meaningful connections
• End the day drained and unsatisfied

Creating from Wholeness:

• Approach work as service ("Who can I help today?")
• Enjoy the creation process itself
• Connect genuinely with others
• Honor relationships and give generously
• End the day fulfilled, regardless of outcomes

The Surprising Truth

Here's what shocked me: What emerged from me exploring this limiting belief that "If I have money, then I'll be enough", I discovered something powerful:

"If I'm enough, then I'll have money."

When we create from a place of wholeness—when we show up fully and serve others—success tends to follow naturally. Not because we're chasing it desperately, but because we're creating genuine value.

And, because we don't need the outcome. Feeling this inherent wholeness results in us being inherently fulfilled.

From this place, if success happens, great—if not, great.

This also touches on the notion of giving and receiving being two sides of the same coin.

When we block our ability to give, we simultaneously block our ability to receive.

As I've shifted my approach over the past few weeks, something remarkable has happened. Writing this book I've been working on ("The Art of Listening") has become joyful again.

The words flow more easily. Ironically, other facets of my business have started to improve—not because I'm obsessed with them, but because they no longer control me.

Questions Worth Considering

So here's my invitation to you: Next time you sit down to work on that important project, pause and ask yourself:

• Am I creating from lack or from wholeness?
• Who am I really serving with this work?
• Would I still do this if money weren't a factor?

Your answers might surprise you—and they might just transform how you work.

Integrity Check

If you'd like to go deeper with this exploration, check out this "Integrity Assessment" that helps you identify where you might be out of alignment with the wholeness that you already are in your life.

I find it invaluable to periodically take this assessment, as embodying integrity is like surfing a wave. Life’s unpredictable swells and sharp turns can throw us off our surfboards, but recalibrating with integrity helps us paddle back, find our balance, and surf with purpose once more.

The assessment takes about 5 minutes and can reveal areas of misaligned effort.

​Get Your Free Integrity Assessment Here →​

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Here's to creating from wholeness,

Alex

P.S. I'd love to hear your experiences with creating from lack versus wholeness. What shifts have you noticed in your work when you approach it from a place of service rather than scarcity? Reply to this email and let me know.