How You See Yourself

Summer has a way of shifting the pace, slowing things down just enough to see yourself more clearly. This issue explores how that’s playing out for me and what it could mean for you.

Resting

An invitation to slow down long enough to hear what your mind, body, and heart are telling you.

Warning: this is an odd one. I’m sharing in case you’re already doing this and I’m late.

Hiding the view of myself on Zoom has been game changing! It allows me to reduce the additional stimuli of seeing myself and truly focus on who I’m in conversation with. I’m enjoying the benefits of tuning myself out so that I can tune into what they're saying (and not saying). It decreases Zoom fatigue too.

Do I still take a quick look at myself to make sure I don’t look like I’ve been in a fight? Of course! But taking these steps to limit my own view while others can still see me is consistent with what I’m striving for, particularly in a coaching context. Less of me, and more of them.

If you try this or are already doing it, I’d love to hear what you’re able to hear and see differently.

Remembering

An invitation to reconnect with your brilliance - the wisdom, creativity, and magic within and around you.

Any story that starts with “remember that time when…” likely doesn’t need to be told. At least in the presence of my husband and children.

But my parents couldn’t help themselves. They could barely get the story out in between chuckles.

Yes, I walked in a “fashion show” during my freshman year of college. And yes, said fashion was only strips of cloth. But you couldn’t tell me nuthin! There was a casting call and they chose me. I felt special and unique.

It wasn’t until after my mom traveled from Atlanta to Chapel Hill to share in my excitement that the level of exposure – bordering indecency – became clear. My confidence had clouded my better judgment. But there’s something about that energy that I’m calling forward to today. Being so certain you might misstep — and strutting anyway. That boldness is a breeding ground for possibility.

What memory do you have of things going sideways and still not having a single regret?

Recasting/Realizing

An invitation to imagine the life you desire and pursue it with joy as your compass.

Meet my inner mentor. She’s twenty years my senior and is my most authentic, fully evolved self. I met her on a river.

I was introduced to the concept of an inner mentor via “Playing Big” by Tara Mohr. She talks about how we have all the answers within us, if we’d just take the time to listen. You’ll have to read the book to understand the dynamics between the inner mentor and the inner critic. That friction is nothing to play with!

My inner mentor is the undiluted version of me, pulling me forward in daily actions and decisions, choices about how I spend my time, who I spend my time with, and even how I dress and decorate my space.

We can’t be what we can’t see in our own inner vision.

I'm grateful to have met her and look forward to getting to know her better. She's a beautiful reminder that I already have the answers.

If you’d like to learn more about – and meet your own inner mentor – check out this meditation. P.S. I found the visual of a river to be more meaningful than a light beam.

Whether it’s minimizing your view or taking the long view, how you see yourself matters. I'd love to hear how the view influences the way you occupy space.