You are not here to just go to work, pay bills, change diapers and die. (Yes, super dramatic sorry) We all have dreams. Most of us have BIG dreams! If you felt connected and empowered would you have the courage to make your dreams a reality?
I believe that the best way to achieve a life full of passion and desire is by stepping up and showing up for yourself. Creating the life you want is possible and you have the power to make it happen.
I believe this with my entire being, but I haven't always lived like this. I stayed in the shadows for way too long. I thought the house with the white picket fence and 2.5 kids was the thing that would make me happy. And honestly it did. Until it didn't. Until the longing for more kept creeping in. It took having a late term pregnancy which shook up everything I believed in for me to realize that my dreams mattered. And so do yours.
Let's face it, we all struggle with empowerment at some point in our lives. We all have things we would like to run away from and sometimes the thought of confronting our fears scare us more than the fear itself. We as high achieving women have to remember that the idea of standing up for ourselves and our beliefs don't make us bitches or rough around the edges. It makes us powerful. It makes us truthful and unafraid. And that power can be a bit uncomfortable.
Here are five ways to step into that power with ease:
• Get Clear On Your Desires. Jot down a few activities that make you feel most taken care of and fully alive. Put the list on a post it on your computer so you see it every day. Get clear on the things that make you feel powerful
• Let go of the Guilt. It's totally normal to feel like you "shouldn't" be taking time for reflection. There are so many things to be done during the day and sometimes the last thing you want to do is spend time on you. But if you don't who will? Spend a few minutes writing down the feelings of guilt and burn it. Or rip it apart. The idea is that you release them.
• Tap into your Courage. My experience with courage was a long one. Once I realized that my feelings were not an actual threat to me I was able to sit with it. I held it. I explored it. I was curious about it. I realized if I sat in the darkness with compassion the light started to shine in...slowly. I realized my pain was just energy. And that energy subsides if you give it love.
Try to sit and explore what is holding you back and have faith that the fears will subside. Write down what comes up for you.
• Meditate. We hear it all the time: meditation is the key to happiness, health, creativity, stress management and so on. And it is true. Take 5 minutes each day to sit comfortably in a quiet place and just breath and release. We all have the answers within us and sometimes all we need is to remove some of the noise so we can hear our own voice.
• Create a mantra or daily affirmation. Through the power of mantra we can shift the way we feel and show up in the world. Each morning come up with a mantra or affirmation that will help guide you into love and acceptance. Ex: "I have the courage to step into my future gracefully with ease." or "Even though I am not ready to move on from ____, I forgive and love myself." Write it down and post it where you can see it throughout the day.
Our fears don't have to define us. They can be part of us and our journey. We can step out of our shadows and into our power with love, grace and a bit of work.
Andi Wickman is a mentor, certified life coach, hand holder, lifter-upper of women who want to live a purposeful, passionate life. She helps women feel more confident in their lives, bodies and relationships so they can be more present, caring parents and humans.
She runs a 90 day program for women who are interested in finding your authentic self and building a life around it. {Space is limited}.