[fusion_text]Are you ready to find YOUR voice? Connect to YOUR dreams? Be confident in YOUR abilities? Or Be comfortable in YOUR own skin … not somebody else’s?
Thanks to the miracles of marketing and social media, everybody else’s lives are in our faces all the time. Unless you have an amazing foundation of self love and self confidence, it’s pretty darn hard not to compare yourself to the intriguing lives of the visually beautiful, the rich and famous, and the wildly successful people we are bombarded with daily.
We can’t blame the media for everything. How we think about ourselves started very early in life and continues through the voices we hear from our parents, our siblings, our friends, our teachers and classmates, and the media. And then our spouses, partners, boyfriend/girlfriends, colleagues, bosses, children etc. play a role.
In fact, everyone around you has the ability to influence you, but they don’t have to define you or what success means to you. Creating success on your terms begins with finding and using your voice.
The voice that matters is the one that is deep inside. Trouble is, we so rarely stop and be still long enough to hear it, much less listen to it.
I didn’t listen to MY VOICE for years.
I assumed everyone else was right and if my ideas were different, I must be the one out of step. I became a risk averse, perfectionist, people pleaser. That lead to a fear of answering or asking challenging questions all through school for “what if I was wrong?”. I was always easy to get along with and ready to go with the flow. I was genuinely interested in what everyone else said or wanted to do and apparently it was easier (or safer!) to go along than suggest something else or (gasp) make a decision of my own.
The result of all this? I didn’t appear to have a solid OPINION about anything.
Seriously. And that became a problem when I finally did share my opinion, as some of those close to me (at the time) would respond with “where did that come from?” or “who put that thought in your head?” What a great way to reinforce the notion that my opinion didn’t really matter anyway, so I continued to be the consummate peace keeper and found ways to hide myself (from embarrassment).
The thought of creating a DREAM for “me” never crossed my mind.
My focus was on making sure everything was going according to plan – school, job, marriage, children, career. I know these are all important milestones in one’s life, but I NOW believe that these milestones MUST be aligned with our own dreams about who we are and who we can become along the way. Is that at the expense of everybody else? Absolutely not! I now have goals and dreams which include my loved ones and people I want to spend time with … those who love me, challenge me, support and respect me for who I am.
I was not CONFIDENT in my abilities.
I’ve written about this before … on the outside, I may have appeared self-assured yet on the inside I always wondered if I was on the right track or making sense or looking like a fool or, or, or. Let me tell you, in the long run second guessing yourself becomes extremely energy draining and soul sucking.
I was not COMFORTABLE in my own skin.
You know the drill … I’m not pretty enough, I’m no fun, I’m not as smart as they are …. This really encompasses everything. I was uncomfortable being me!
If any of this rings true for you, then maybe it’s time to embrace who you are, wherever you are!
What changed for me? When I was 40 I was challenged to “dream” about what was possible 10 years out. At 41, I finally listened to my inner voice and made some serious life decisions that turned my family upside down.
I found my voice and chose to: think for myself; behave in ways that honoured what’s good for me, my children and my future; make decisions independently AND interdependently (I don’t live in isolation!). I was determined to prove to myself first and my children second, that I was more than capable of speaking up for “me” and living a life that included what I wanted … not only what everyone else wanted for (or from) me.
I listened to and allowed myself to believe the people who believed in me.
I now honour my life and business experiences and bring them to my businesses. I love creating my own hours. I’m more relaxed in general. I trust my decisions, take more chances and am more true to myself than I’ve ever been. THAT is success for me.
Am I thrilled about absolutely everything? No way! My weight could be “different” and my house could be tidier, and I’m ok with that because so many other areas of my life are more perfect than ever.
[/fusion_text][tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.7″ border=”1px” bordercolor=”#993300″ highlightposition=”top” content_alignment=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” modal=”” button_size=”” button_shape=”” button_type=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”Over to YOU!” description=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””]What is your inner VOICE saying to you?
Are you ready to honour your own opinions and share them? Is it time to speak up for what matters to you? (The small things count too!)
What are your DREAMS made of?
Really, it’s never too late to dream. Each day is a lifetime … which means you have a lifetime ahead of you. Start dreaming now!
Where would you like to have more CONFIDENCE?
What would you like to change or challenge, but are afraid to take the next step? What would it take to move one teeny-tiny step forward? Will you take it?
[/tagline_box][section_separator divider_candy=”bottom,top” icon=”fa-pagelines” icon_color=”#993300″ bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#993300″ backgroundcolor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]An exercise for you:
Set aside 15 minutes to ponder one of the key questions above. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. Choose and read the question aloud. Close your eyes, focus on your breath and notice what comes up for you. (Note: Even if nothing seems to appear in your thoughts at that time, don’t be surprised if something comes up in your dream through the night)[/fusion_text]