Time to be brave, lay down your armour and be seen
Have you ever had someone, a friend or a colleague, tell you how much they admire you because you always seem to know what you’re doing, because you’ve got ‘it made’? You mumble something along the lines of ‘Oh, it’s not all that important’ or ‘It’s nothing really!’, while at the same time screaming inside “If only you knew how empty it feels to be living like this!”
How could they know?!
You never talk about it. Not with those close to you and certainly not anyone else!
How are they to know you may be good or even very good at your job, but you find it totally unfulfilling? How are they to know your life may look perfect from the outside, but feels empty on the inside?
Over the years you’ve build up armour out of obligations and honouring expectations. It is there to protect you against disappointing your loved ones and society, against the fear of not being enough and all kinds of failure but especially against failure should you start doing what you want to do!
Here’s the deal!
[bctt tweet=”Taking off your armour is one the scariest, most difficult as well as most rewarding things you can do for yourself. #DareGreatly #BlazeYourOwnTrail]
I know this because it was and still is like that for me.
When I laid down what I thought was my entire armour, I finally dared to admit to myself at first and then to the world at large, I no longer wanted to continue in my corporate career. No longer did I want to do what was expected of me but left me feeling empty inside.
The best part though?!
My body and mind immediately started to let go off an enormous amount of stress and tension I hadn’t even been aware was there. It was amazing how much physical and mental strength it had taken to be able to carry the weight of all that armour.
I don’t think I would have been able to go on much longer!
Turns out my armour has been multi-layered and I still discover pieces of armour on me. Laying down those pieces is as scary, difficult and hopefully as rewarding as taking off that first major piece was.
Brené Brown is right on the money when she tells us:
“I’m not screwing around. It’s time. All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go.
Your armour is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armour could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy of love and belonging, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever.
Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen”
Ever since I laid down that first piece of armour I’ve been on an adventurous exploration of life.
So far it has led me to the Austrian Alps, where I’ve been working in one of my dream jobs as a mountain hiking guide. It had me working briefly as a taxi driver (not a dream job by the way), after which I started working winters in another dream job as a ski instructor.
All of those experiences – my corporate career, carrying my heavy armour, the adventurous exploration of life – have been teaching and are teaching me still the lessons I needed to learn to be ready and able to be a coach. To be able to share the wisdom in those lessons with my clients. To support them as they lay down their armour.
LET’S FIND OUT TOGETHER HOW YOU CAN LAY DOWN YOUR ARMOUR AND START YOUR OWN ADVENTUROUS EXPLORATION OF LIFE!
#liveyourownlife #laydownyourarmour #BlazeYourOwnTrail style=”fa-stop” color=”#222222″]
Share your thoughts below and let me know what you think. Be as specific as you can when you share your thoughts. Other people, Trailblazers like you, will be inspired by your ideas and actions.
Thank you for reading and adding your voice to the conversation.
As always…
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