My biggest challenge of late has been staying true to my own inner wisdom and having/keeping the courage to step out and do my life the way that feels most aligned for me.
Which of course is why I talk about it so much and keep preaching the message to do what makes sense to YOU (see Ponder and Practice episode 1, 2, 3, 4… well maybe just all of them. But also #12 especially). No one else knows. I don’t know what is best for you, the same way you can’t know what is best for me.
Let me share something else — I am an introvert. Like, capital ‘I’ severely and intensely introverted. Meanwhile I’m committed to networking and getting out into the professional community more and more. Conundrum!
Except that it isn’t.
A few weeks ago I offered up to the universal intelligence: “I hate networking. I don’t know how to do it. Do I really need to do it? The ways I know how to network feel so stressful and just awful, and when I feel like that I don’t get anything out of it anyway.”
deep breath
I continued: “Ok…I probably do need to network… and I trust that there is a way I can do it and not feel awful about it. I fully commit to doing it if opportunities come up that feel fun and interesting. I’ll show up. You, universe, are responsible for putting those opportunities in front of me.”
I’m paraphrasing, but this is essentially how it goes for me. For just about every challenge I come up against. And guess what… it always works.
Within days to a week I’d set up meetings with new people, signed up for small group networking events, and generally got myself on a path to meet more new and interesting people in town in the next couple months than I have in the entire six years I’ve lived in Portland. And it felt like, God forbid, FUN!
Meanwhile I was also invited to an event that I really wasn’t enthused about… the cocktail-party-where-I-don’t-know-anyone-except-the-person-that-brought-me variety. Stressful. Terrifying. I was in breach of my unilateral verbal networking contract with the universe.
And guess what…
The event was awful for me. No fun. All anxiety. Not to mention a full on breakdown with my mom on the phone after the fact (thanks Mom!).
Here’s what’s for you to take away, my dear one:
Don’t compromise on what you know the best way for you to go about doing something.
No matter how much you think you ‘should’ be doing what everyone else is doing. No matter how much you think you’ll be judged or shunned or disowned. It. is. not. worth. it.
Everything up to that event for me was going swimmingly, all the pieces falling flawlessly and effortlessly into place. Oh, I was doing things and taking action, but it was so gloriously easy. Like stupid easy. Like this-is-my-dream-life easy.
And it all came to a sudden, grinding, and painful halt the very moment I compromised on what I knew was aligned for me.
And so…
Have courage.
If you don’t have it, ask. Rework my verbal universal contract so that it works for you. Maybe yours sounds like “I am terrified to step into what I really want to be doing. I have no idea where to get the courage to do this… I’ll keep daydreaming and doing what I can. Your job, universe, is to bring me affirmation I’m moving in the right direction.”
Your way may look completely different from everyone else’s.
And that’s okay.
You really can’t get it wrong.
Talk to people who have stepped out on their own path who you admire. Get a good buddy to support you on your way. Follow people on social who you admire and who you think you can learn from.
I promise that the more boldly you are able to stay in alignment with your own inner wisdom, the more marvelous life will become… exponentially so. And, luckily, the screeching shock of getting out of alignment will let you know just how important it is to stay in tune and in step with yourself!
Until next time!