Navigating uncertainty

I was sitting in a meeting room with 10-15 colleagues around me. We had a workshop. It was supposed to be fun, motivating and innovative. Instead I was feeling like I would faint. I was suffocating. I took a sip of water. I opened a window. It didn’t help. When your soul is suffocating, that is not enough. It felt like I was weak, wrong, going crazy. Everyone else had a good time. But not me. What's wrong with me?

Deeply I knew the answer. I knew that I was spending my time on the wrong things, prioritising what was not important to me. But what could I do instead? I couldn’t see any options. The sight was blurry. I felt stuck and overwhelmed.

I was longing to uncover the connection to myself. My true and authentic self. I wanted to connect to my own answers and know what I want in live.

This is a collective story: my old story and story of my clients. At this point in the story I realised, it was time to do something different. I couldn't wait anymore for dreams to unfold, I knew I had to take charge of my situation. I couldn't wait for someone to come and offer me a helping hand. I had to take myself seriously.

But where do I start? This is a critical point. One can spend years on frustration and figuring out what's next. Luckily, there are some proven steps that I will guide you through.

The very first step is to create safety, acceptance and raise the awareness of your state. Tell yourself an affirmation: "I am where I am supposed to be". You don't need to be anywhere else. In this stage you want to fully explore your challenge instead of finding solutions. The solutions will come naturally at a later stage. Way too many try to jump on to the solutions too early and therefore do not succeed in creating a sustainable change.

So let's look into how you can suport yourself right now. First step is to become aware of your self-sabotaging mechanism and how you run away from your inner truth. You can do this by answering the following questions:

  • What painful feelings do I need to face?

  • How do I explain away those feelings?

  • How do I decrease the significance of my situation and suffering?

  • How do I explain away why I am dissatisfied?

  • Where and when do I cross my own boundaries or allow others to do so?

  • Do I project my feelings on someone or something else?

  • Do I feel resentment or blame someone or something for how my life/career is going right now?

  • How do I need to take responsibility for my situation?

These questions will help you to understand your self-sabotaging mechanisms, and where you are stuck mentally and emotionally. Well done starting to uncover these answers! In the next post I will cover strategies for transforming these mechanisms into helpful coping.

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Breathwork: A Path to Inner Calm

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Power of Forest – Getting ready for the next year