What gives YOU the authority to …

… write?
… teach?
… speak?
… coach?
… guide?
… make art + (gasp!) charge MONEY for it?

No, seriously. Let’s get into it. What’s YOUR authority?

It’s uncanny. Every single time I release something new into the ‘verse — a script pack, a service, a workshop — I hear That Voice. The “who the FUCK do you think you ARE?” Voice. (Oh, you’ve heard her, too? Yeah, she gets around.)

Earlier this week, I had a conversation with a miraculous teacher named Amy Oscar. (Don’t know her? You should.)

Through our side-winding exploration of angels + archetypes + oracles, I was reminded that true Authority isn’t something that can be bestowed upon you by somebody else. You can’t buy it. You can’t rent it. There’s no official seal for it. And it’s not really something you earn, through study + merit alone. It’s a little more … complex.

Authority = a helix of credentials, lived experience, recognition, lineage + willingness. It’s like DNA — many vital strands, woven to form a singular whole, distinctive to YOU.

If you’re struggling to identify — and express — your particular flavor of Authority, here are a few prompts + questions to guide you.

I’ll bet you already have a wealth of Authority — for whatever you want to do.
 

YOUR CREDENTIALS

Where did you go to school? Any degrees? Awards? Accolades?

Who were your life-altering teachers?

How ’bout after school? Any industry awards? Grants? Publications? Striking opportunities?

(Can’t remember? Ask your mom or best girlfriend. She will.)
 

YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE

What have you DONE with your LIFE — between the margins? between the accolades? between the credentials?

Where does your hard-won wisdom come from?

What are you already known for, in your inner circle of Love?
 

YOUR RECOGNITION

What do your friends / family / peers / colleagues / clients / customers / readers / tweeters / fans / allies / cheerful competitors / mentors / teachers say about you?

Can you quote them? In public? Good.
 

YOUR LINEAGE

Are you a fifth-generation entrepreneur, from an illustrious legacy of craftsmen + artisans?

Or — conversely — are you a first-generation college graduate? An expectation-defying outlier?

Did you get your coaching philosophy from your saucy, spitfire great-auntie?

Do you channel your grandfather’s sense of architectural logic + form, when you write?
 

YOUR WILLINGNESS

What are WILLING to write / teach / speak / lead / craft / channel / do?

What are you WILLING to be a messenger for?

What are you WILLING to be known for?
 

(By the way, this is IT. The heart of your mastery + expertise.)

When you strip away all the conventional credentials + preparation — your willingness IS your authority.

And now, a brief word from our sponSOAR . . .

You want to teach. You do. And you know you’ve got lessons to share.

But you just need onnnnne more degree, certification or feather in your cap before you’ll be a ‘credible’ teacher. Right?

Jennifer Louden + Michele Christensen beg to differ. They say, Teach from where you are. Teach from what you know. Teach the lessons you’re actively learning. Keep it fresh, timely + vital. TeachNOW!

Jen + Michele have partnered up once again to bring you TeachNow — an online experience for people who want to teach what they love. Not someday. NOW-day.

TeachNow is tremendously hot ’cause it …

: Tackles the inner work of teaching — fear, self-doubt, shyness + all those itchy “who am I?” questions.
: Covers the practical nuts + bolts of developing your material, finding an audience, handling difficult students + more.
: Includes a mega-library of 45+ master teacher interviews, including Natalie Goldberg, Mark Nepo, Sharon Salzberg, Parker Palmer, Keri Smith, Angeles Arraigns + more. (Holy jeez! I just got fan-girl shivers. They got NEPO? Damn.)

Join J + M for a free introductory class on September 19th at 10am Pacific.

Go be willing. Go be playful. Go be a teacher. NOW.