Who's in charge here?

Have you ever walked behind a 6-year-old in a public place (or anywhere, really)? If you know, you know. The other day I took my son to a bookstore as we were in search of the second Harry Potter book so we can continue our Hogwarts education. The store was busy for a weekday, the aisles were narrow, and the children’s section was full of many distracting, shiny books in fun displays. Ushering my beloved child through the aisles to achieve our goal of selecting the right book was quite the task. His gait was slow and unsure. We made many stops all the while through gritted teeth and a plastic smile encouraging him to walk faster because people were behind us trying to get where they needed to be. Needless to say, I was one FRUSTRATED mama! Dude needed to pick his feet up.

After reflecting upon this situation I realize now that the little guy had no idea where to go. I had unintentionally made him the captain of our destination by putting him out front to lead the charge. Let’s face it, a 6-year-old doesn’t have as much experience navigating bookstores as adults, especially when searching for something specific. I gave him the reigns and he didn’t know what to do with them. If I’m completely honest with myself, I was the underlying cause of the frustration.

This situation also made me think about many times where I have been in my own way dragging my feet, getting distracted and not fully knowing where to go. We are comprised of so many versions of ourselves and too often we let our younger, less experienced versions of us take the front seat. What does this look like? Well, I’m glad you asked.

Think about the woman who feels the urge, the call, the whisper to pursue the dream job, take time off to travel, leave her relationship, ask for the raise, etc. She knows deep within herself what she truly wants (whether she realizes it or not) and it is becoming an ache within her body. However, the version of herself who questions this call and reminds her of all the times she has failed and hurt herself is the version in the lead. Her actions, her thoughts, and her words all say that she isn’t enough. But deep inside she knows better.

That version of YOU that knows better is who we need to get to know. The younger version of you who experienced pain and setbacks will insist that you keep playing small. The truest form of you knows that you are worth so much more (and so do I). I want you to see that whisper become a roar.

CHALLENGE: Observe your words, thoughts and actions this week. Are these things in alignment with where you want to be? Do your words, thoughts, and actions carry you toward your truest desires or someone else’s? Let’s talk about your findings on a call. Hop on over to my site and schedule a free 30-minute call so we can start strategizing your next step!