Listen for the sound of the genuine in yourself

During a recent yoga class, my teacher shared this quote and it hit me like a ton of bricks:

There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.

-Howard Thurman

If, at any point in your life, you have been caught up in the achievement lifestyle or worked hard to meet the expectations of others, it probably resonates with you too.

I have felt the strings being pulled in my life, being moved in directions I didn’t want to go. It would be easy to say, “I didn’t have a choice. There’s so much pressure from family, friends and society as a whole!” But that’s BS.

I allowed my strings to be pulled because I didn’t take the time to really get to know myself and what I wanted. I was looking outside myself for direction, for someone to tell me what path would lead to success.

It wasn’t until I stopped trying to fit the mould, stopped doing what others thought I should do that I started to feel energized and on purpose in my life. I wasn’t just happy on the outside anymore. As I took the time to reflect on who I wanted to be rather than what I should do, I began to feel intrinsically happy.

The most foundational and powerful work we can do as individuals is take the time to figure out who we are and what’s important to us. Without that inner knowledge, you will, more often than not, be unsure of what choices are right for you. You’ll be unable to set boundaries because you haven’t identified what they are. You’re likely to be plagued by procrastination, disappointment, resentment and overwhelm. And there’s a good chance you’ll experience the dreaded mid-life crisis.

How about you avoid all that crap? Take the time to listen to “the sound of the genuine in yourself” and set yourself free.

If you’re ready to cut the strings, book a Complimentary, no obligation, Breakthrough Call to sample 1-1 coaching with me.