What is the difference between an idealist dream, and a movement that creates tangible change?
A movement has a community that supports and understands the purpose of the guiding vision.
As visionaries, leaders of new movements, and culture catalysts, our message allows us to connect with our people.
And in order to connect with our people, we need to make our message as clear as possible so the community can understand the vision for the world we are working to build.
If you are a visionary or a culture catalyst working to build new paradigms in your business and community, you have probably come up against folks who just couldn’t understand your vision.
No matter how hard you try to explain your vision, they just stare back with a confused look on their face. (Or worse, they dismiss your vision for being too out there, unrealistic, or massive.)
The confusion and dismissal doesn’t mean they don’t care… it may mean there’s a gap in communication, and they just don’t get your message… yet.
If you think the language in your message might be confusing people, don’t give up on your vision or the movement you’re building…
Just take some time to get super clear in the way you are sharing your vision.
Ok, so you need to take time to clarify your message.
But what actions can you take to create clear definitions to lay the foundation of your message?
Start by defining key concepts you use often. (Especially concepts that are important and/or unique to your work and might be new to your audience.)
Next, examine the parts of your message you think might be confusing.
Then, talk to your community about the definitions you’ve created. You need to consult your community because definitions should not be created on their own. They need to be built on the input and feedback of your community.
Lastly, try to keep your definitions and terms as descriptive – yet simple – as possible.Whittling down terms and definitions to make them as descriptive and concise can be a frustrating process. But I assure you, as you laser focus your language, your vision will become MUCH clearer to you and your community.
With that said, here are some examples of definitions I’m using in my own business to help people gain clarity on my bigger vision as they come into my community and consider working with me:
Ethical Business:
Energetic exchanges that prioritize people and the planet over profits, and are founded upon reciprocity, justice, healing + liberation.
Justice Informed:
A way of engaging people, spaces, and systems that acknowledges how injustice + systems of oppression have permeated culture and society.
Collective Liberation:
A process of working to free ALL PEOPLE, from systematic oppression, injustice, and harmful conditioning, so we can achieve a more equitable world.
Consent-Based Communication:
Asking for, and receiving permission to share advice, services, and products with another person prior to sharing them and respecting boundaries once they have been established.
Spiritual Activism:
Utilizing one’s spiritual practice + divine connection to create justice + liberation in the physical world.
Right now, these definitions serve as an avenue for clear and confident communication with my audience.
These are working definitions that will evolve as I continue to do my work…
And if my clients and audience aren’t clear on what my definitions mean, we can work on clarifying them together.
No definition or term is static.
Every definition is in constant flux.
I hope I have helped you see the the power of creating clear definitions.
Remember, clear definitions lay the foundation for clear messages. And clear messages, allow your community to fully understand, and fully support, your vision for the movement you’re building.
During the third module of ALTAR, my 12 week Business Immersion for Spiritual Entrepreneurs, we’ll take a deeper dive into the process of crafting your message and your language in a way that calls in the people you are here to serve and support.
If you feel like parts of your message are unclear, and you’re ready to connect with your audience in a way that inspires them to take action, click here to hop on a free discernment call with me.
On the call, you and I will chat about how I can support you in defining your work with more clarity, so you can connect with your audience and book more clients.
Love + Liberation
Lauren Elizabeth