We believe we’re seasoned travelers, knowing how to pack for and travel the roadways of change. We pride ourselves in our critical thinking and decision-making skills, life experience and self-reliance abilities. We know how to steer forward, accelerate, maneuver through unexpected turnabouts and when to slam on the brakes, doing a hard reverse to head off into a different direction. We creatively multi-task as we’re driving along and have great confidence at responding to and preventing accidents. Until we crash.
It all works until it doesn’t. What happens when those age-old belief systems, well-worn behaviors and fortified emotional responses that have always served us so well no longer suffice? Our minds start to lead us down the pathways we’ve been trying to avoid or deny. The signs of doubt, fear and anxiety emerge—far too frequently. Our saboteur voice starts filling our minds with limiting ‘never and no’ words and messages of ‘not good enough’, ‘what if’, ‘what is X saying about me?’ Instead of WTF?, we tell ourselves WhoTF? Am I…kidding?
Our minds can detour us down a pathway of negative assumptive thinking that misrepresents the reality of who we are, how greatly we’re perceived when we show up and how valued our talented contributions are received. We may retreat into believing we need to chart our course of change and transition alone, seeking solace or grief in isolation, believing we’re the only ones going through this whatever-it-is-we’re-going-through transitional change. Worse yet, we may actually believe we deserve to go it alone, having to figure everything out on our own. We quickly become the fun-suckers of our own significance and joy.
With all the changes going on during a normal year, it would not be atypical to feel overwhelmed with the incessant changes occurring in 2020. No need to crash. Contact me if you’re at a crossroads. Just remember to take the exit leading toward Joy Welcomes You.
enJOY, Mary
Contemplate:
If you’re struggling with change, ask yourself if the voice of your mind is out of alignment with the voice of your heart and soul. No need to go it alone, I’ll walk along with you:
- Whose voice is it you’re actually hearing?
- Are the words you’re using reflective of your sacred truth or false assumptions that you or someone else has or is stating?
- Allow yourself to follow the steppingstones toward infinite possibilities: How can you reframe your beliefs by using the word ‘and’ vs. living in the finite world of ‘either-or’?
- If your voice is listening to the shame and blame podcast, what’s the new podcast you need and want to hear? Write that script!
Listen to the sound of your voice. Emotions—stress, anxiety, excitement—can tighten the muscles around your larynx and cause a higher pitch. Try the Yawn-Sigh technique to relax your voice and improve its range: Yawn (take in air) with your mouth closed. Exhale through your nose (like you’re sighing). Repeat.
