“The world has a you-shaped hole in it. It is missing what you see.
You were called into being to see the gap and to fill it.”
~ Tara Sophia Mohr, Your Other Names (paid link)

This quote from Tara Sophia Mohr’s poem, The You-Shaped Hole, really resonates with me. It’s something I truly believe about everything and everyone in this world of ours.

Tara is also the creator and leader of Playing Big, a six-month, online leadership development program for women, but so much more. In 2011, I was part of the inaugural group of women to experience this program and to say that it was an important part of my year is an understatement.

The first half of the program focused on inner work – callings, intuition, facing resistance and the inner critic, etc. The second half of the program focused on outer work – the tools for putting your work out into the world.

As I reflected on the past year, I listed this program as one of the three highlights of my year. Why was it so special? Let me count the ways.

1. A Supportive Community of Amazing Women 

There were more than 100 women participating from all over the world and they were all playing big in their own unique way. Tara created a safe space where a supportive community could develop. I really found the gathering place and small group process to be of invaluable support in holding myself accountable to my callings and being able to support others.

2. Respecting your Callings and Facing your Fears 

We learned about how important it is to pay attention to those wisps of inspiration that beckon. They hold the key to how we are uniquely called to play bigger in the world. But often, this is where fears kick in.

Fear comes quite naturally to me and I have an ingrained habit of waiting for the perfect conditions before acting. Of course, those perfect conditions never happen. Playing Big gave me the tools I needed to identify those fears and get past them. My word for 2011 was fearless and for 2012 it is action.

I learned from Tara that we never have all we need before starting a venture. The rest we will learn once we get started. Aha!

3. Trusting Yourself 

There is an entity deep inside that we need to trust – call it our future selves, our essential selves, our intuition. It knows the right answer to any question we might have. Tara provided a wonderful exercise for tapping into that self.

Another important lesson to learn when putting your true self out there is to unhook from both praise and criticism. This is especially important  for women. This year, I am paying special attention to trusting my intuition.

4. Greater Awareness and Confidence 

Playing Big helped me to clarify and gain confidence in what I have to offer the world. My biggest turning point was in realizing that the very things that I beat myself up for sometimes, mainly my need for much quiet and solitude, were actually the sources of my greatest gifts. Much of what I am now offering is coming out of that quiet place.

5. Practical Tools 

The course also provided very practical tools for taking action. I was able to successfully launch my first online photography workshop, Photo By Design, after finishing the Playing Big program. Many of these tools I will be using this year as I commit to even more action.

6. Embracing Uncertainty 

As a result of this program, I can honestly say that I am quite comfortable in my own skin, in what I have to offer, and even the uncertainty that may bring.

7. Tara Sophia Mohr 

Tara is a warm, insightful, and supportive woman. She is a great listener and coach, which was apparent on the calls she held twice a month with participants in the course. She is a big reason the course was such a success. Here’s a sample of her writing and a free download of her poetry.

This is the (sort of) haiku I wrote at the end of the course to say thank you to Tara.

Red maple in fall
Showing its true colors that
were hiding inside

Update: 3 years later. Tara Mohr has run several Playing Big sessions with women all over the world. She is also a gifted writer and her Playing Big book comes out Tuesday, October 14, 2014.

I now have 5 online classes and have facilitated several in-person workshops. My email list has grown substantially. I give a lot of credit to Tara’s Playing Big program for giving me the confidence I needed. I feel like I’m on the verge of playing bigger in different ways now and will use the book to determine next steps. You can order it right here.

Who’s helped you to play big?