internalGPS® Coaching: Letting Go & Rising Strong™ 4

I make it a tradition every year to let something go; it’s more fun and productive than those crazy resolutions. I gave those up a long time ago, thank God.

Things I’ve let go of in the past:

• “Being a runner” No running for me, if you have that runner’s high then more power to you, I’m a bit envious!
• Diet coke. I used to drink it a lot, starting first thing in the morning. Oh it makes me cringe just to think about it now.
• “Being a golfer” I have a set of really old clubs sitting in my garage, a friend gave them to me when I was attempting to be this. Anyone want them? Be warned that when I took lessons a few years back the Golf Pro wouldn’t let me use them. I think he was embarrassed.

It’s interesting to me that two of the three are physical sporting activities…I do exercise, really. I just let go of those activities; they were taking up space in my head with guilt: I should be running, walking is too easy, why can’t I run enough to get that “high” I hear about, all I get is pain and torture, golf is a good way to connect and network, it’s so pretty out there on those golf courses, I should want to do this, but I don’t.

Letting them go gives me a lightness, a space for better things to show up. And losing the Diet Coke helps my body operate better. A while back, I decided to drink one. It had been years! I got a terrible stomach ache right after I drank it, I kid you not. Was that stomach ache really due to the Diet Coke? Who cares, what matters is that my body is better off without that habit.

I give myself permission to try something I gave up because if I tell myself that I have to give it up forever then I want it more. I know that’s a psychological psyching-myself-out-thing that a Coaching Professional should be above. The sad state of affairs is that I’m not above anything. I wish.

This year, 2017, I’m giving up my Need-To-Be-Liked or NTBL. As an efficient (lazy) typist, it’s easier to use the letters: NTBL. As a Coaching Professional  and someone old enough to prefer dancing to 70’s-80’s music, you’d think I’m above and beyond this pesky need. I wish.

I’m working on it and with some people my NTBL is no problem at all (who cares about them!). Others show me that I still have work to do. In 2017 I’m setting it free. No more NTBL for me!

One of the ways this is already clearing space for me is allowing me to write from my true voice.

The story I told myself was, I am a Coaching Professional and I am writing these posts to impart my learning and wisdom to you, dear reader, and you will like me for it and some of you will even love me for it. 

What a load of “sheet!”

I’m much happier and better by not writing for anyone’s approval/liking/love, especially not people I’ve made up in my head.

The story-telling stopped and I got clear on what I really want and who I really am. I learned this process of noticing the story and shifting to be more authentic from Brené Brown in Rising Strong™, see the link below for this cool workshop that I get to facilitate.

I like to write. Sometimes it’s really difficult and painful, but even then I feel compelled to do it. Writing makes me pay more attention. I notice things and think, oh, I could write a good post about that! It’s also my creative release, I miss it when I’m not doing it.

And, I want to share what I’m learning and I’d love for you to learn something, see a different perspective or maybe just laugh. It’s all good. And I don’t need your approval/liking/love of my posts, letting go of my NTBL!

What will you let go of as we go into 2017? Share in a comment and I’ll cheer you on! 

And I want to share the powerful work that I’m doing that may benefit you, here’s how I’m showing up in the Phoenix area in the next couple weeks:

1/12/17 – Career Connectors Speech: “Using Your internalGPS^® to Rise Strong” – Open to all, register by clicking HERE

1/21/17 – Rising Strong™ 1-day Workshop – Limited to eight fabulous people – Click HERE to register, as of this writing, a few spots are open!