In the work I do, one of the roles I often take on is being a coach. When I am serving in that capacity there is a fundamental starting point that creates a foundation for that work: the wisdom a person needs in order to continue growing and learning is already within them. My role as a coach is to simply help them discover that internal wisdom, to see it and name it, and then to use it in their lives in a way that is healthy, balanced and productive.
For example, in the past two weeks I have had the honor of saying to several individuals, "What I hear you saying is...and I think that is incredible insight you already have for what you need in this situation!" They may not have seen it exactly that way, so I was simply able to name it and point it out in a way that helped them see it from a different perspective. And the power was, it actually came from them, not me. I was just naming it in a new way for them, but it was their internal wisdom, and it was there the whole time!
However, there is a level of work that is required to access this inner wisdom that involves learning to trust ourselves and believing that we actually have it! And maybe this is the most challenging part of this, because we often tend to second guess ourselves. The power of having this inner wisdom is actually trusting that it's there and then acting on it.
By way of encouragement, allow me to suggest two phrases for you to consider:
You've got this!
Who do you have in your life that you can use as a sounding board who will be a champion in helping you believe in yourself? Is there someone you know who will listen with support and encouragement and name the inner wisdom you have in a way that helps you know, "You've got this!"?
I've got this!
In the course of any given day or situation, we don't always have access to those external voices of support, so it's important we develop that for ourselves too. Sometimes the person we need to hear from the most is ourselves! It's almost like we are our own coach who is standing back and reminding us, "I've got this!" We can serve as our own voice of encouragement to trust our inner wisdom.
How could you embrace your own inner wisdom a little more this week? Who do you trust to be a voice of support and encouragement, and what would it take for you to reach out to them and get some feedback? Is there a situation where you are allowing yourself fall into second-guessing, and how could you serve as your own coach and remind yourself of your own, inner wisdom?
I've seen this play out in enough situations in my role as a coach now, that I can honestly say, "You've got this!"
Be Well,
Stephen
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