Even During Illness, Don't Stop Creating Your Business…

I made a video when I was feeling quite ill.

I could have taken the week off.

Thankfully I wasn’t deathly ill, just quite uncomfortable… stuffiness, woozy-headed, random aches and chills.

I decided to make the video anyway… because I was planning on it.

The video was imperfect as a result. But then again, all of my videos are imperfect!

Yet it’s also true that all of my videos are perfect representations of my thoughts and being at that moment in my life. They serve as a public journal — a snapshot of progress, even when there’s discomfort.

The Excuse We Don’t See Coming

I could have made a legitimate excuse. I could have stopped creating content, paused on nurturing my audience.

But I knew that I could talk for three minutes without coughing or sneezing. So I went ahead and made the video, as a testament to a simple fact: imperfect progress is still progress.

Over the 16 years I’ve been coaching and teaching, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with thousands of aspiring soulpreneurs. I’ve noticed that many people allow excuses to stop their progress. They’re ill. Or a family member is ill. Or they just had a tough breakup.

These are real and difficult circumstances, no doubt.

I am not suggesting anyone should perform at nearly the same level as if everything were normal. What I am saying is this — be wary of allowing excuses, even health excuses, to stop you from making progress on your dreams.

Some of my current clients are experiencing difficult breakups or illnesses. Yet they continue to build their businesses. For sure they adjust where they have to, but they don’t stop.

Don’t Let Sickness Become a Shield

There is true danger in rewarding yourself when you get sick, by avoiding the risky vulnerable work of creating your authentic business.

Your subconscious mind will take note.

It learns that sickness keeps you safe from the deeply purposeful work. It learns that illness can easily protect you from embarrassment, confusion, and all the necessary emotions you must experience as you make your way along the road of success.

Sickness can keep you so very safe from having to show up for your purpose…

The Adjustments I Made

You may say that I’m being too harsh on myself. When I’m sick, I should be resting and doing no business activities at all, right?

In fact, I did take a lot more self-care that week than usual. I also made a painful decision: I postponed a two-hour class I was planning to teach the next day. I knew I wouldn’t be able to perform for two hours straight, and it wouldn’t be fair to the students.

That decision was not a reward. It felt like a loss of credibility. It stung.

Yet I still worked on other projects. I could work on creating additional course notes. I could work on creating public content for 15 minutes here and there, as my energy allowed. No marathon sessions. Simply gentle, creative activity when I could manage.

Who’s Being Too Harsh, Really?

If you let your excuses stop you from building your business, I would turn it around and suggest that, maybe, you are being too harsh on yourself…

Why? Because you believe that unless you can perform at your best, you shouldn’t be performing at all. You believe you have to do things “properly”. That is a severe standard to hold yourself to…

Maybe it’s time to reparent yourself, dear soulpreneur.

What if you are profoundly taken care of by a loving higher power, and no “mistake” you make can alter the fact that you have a magnificent destiny?

What if you are simply a work in progress, and that is exactly as it should be?

What if everything you do is already — from that higher perspective — somehow perfect?

I believe this for myself, and I believe it for you…

This Isn’t About Capitalism

When someone says “take a break! rest! capitalism will still be there,” my response is: it’s not about capitalism. It’s about my own commitment to myself. It’s about practicing integrity with that commitment.

This has nothing to do with grinding or hustling or proving anything to anyone. Not to some capitalist grind, as some might misread it. But to my own integrity. It’s about showing up for the work that matters to me, in whatever capacity I gently can.

The Chronic Illness Perspective

One client who lives with chronic illness and physical disabilities shared with me that if she let her illness dictate what she does, she wouldn’t have a business at all. Not a day passes where she’s not in pain or suffering in some way. She describes showing up as a “hot mess” on tough days. It’s not a trend for her. It’s her reality.

On better-than-average days, she makes an effort with her appearance — not for others, but for herself.

Another client with a chronic illness agreed wholeheartedly. She noted there’s a lot of nuance within this and you must listen to your body, always. But because she lives with a chronic illness, if she only created when she felt good, she would never create anything.

The Healing Power of Showing Up

Interestingly, you might even find that the act of working authentically and consistently — and the sense of empowerment, fulfillment, and joy from that activity — might even help you heal faster!

Looking back over the years, I’ve noticed this pattern in my own life. Consistent, gentle, optimistic action has kept me healthier and stronger. Not forced productivity. Not grinding through pain. But showing up authentically, in small ways, even on difficult days…

Creative and contributory activity lifts the spirit! It reminds you that you’re capable, even amid aches and uncertainty. The act of contributing, done gently and without perfectionism, may have a healing effect above simply resting.

Balance, Not Burnout

Yes, make some adjustments to rest more when you’re sick.

Take more naps. Drink warm, nourishing liquids. Queue up some content that makes you laugh and eases the load. I do all of that when I’m sick.

But I’m also very conscious to refuse to let discomfort stop me from creating and contributing. Adjust, yes. Adapt your tasks — shorten them, simplify them. But keep the momentum, gently. It’s about balance, not burnout. It’s about consistent, optimistic, small actions… born from a place of knowing that all is well.

In the bigger picture, we’re profoundly cared for. Things work out in ways we can’t always see. Your imperfect steps today are perfect for where you are.

Keep going. Gently. Faithfully. You might just find that showing up for your purposeful work will benefit your healing, too. 🧡🙏

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