It can feel like standing on the edge of the abyss, we all know the gut knotting feeling of “that” phone call or conversation we need to have but keep putting off. Or the thing that needs to be said but we struggle to say because we fear that people won’t like us, or will ask us to justify our opinions, or ostracise us or whatever our big hairy fear is.
The cure for this paralysis of fear is to gather up our courage, take a couple of deep breaths and calmly say what our truth is. Pick up the phone, stand up in the meeting and have the strength to be honest and authentic. Keep breathing, remain calm, stay centred and speak.
It can be scary as hell. Your throat can suddenly try to convince you that you’ve lost your voice. Your gut can clench and your heart can pound. But you will survive with your arms and legs intact, and the sense of relief and achievement you get will outweigh the perceived horrors you were sure would bring the world crashing down around you.
We spend a lot of our life trying to please others for various reasons, and some of us spend considerable time digging ourselves out of situations we would never have been in if we had been prepared to stand in our own truth up front.
This especially applies to the dread of saying “no”. We can, and we should if that’s what our gut is telling us is right for us. We may scoff at “gut feelings” or “gut instinct” but learning to listen to this very physical inner knowing can be a valuable way to quickly assess what’s going on around us and what is the right way forward for us.
So give it a go. Next time you’re making a decision, or want to say something or need have a conversation you’re bouncing off, let your trusty gut guide you. Then just do what you need to do to stand in your truth, with quiet strength and calm and see what a difference it makes.
