Courage, Vulnerability & Complete Surrender
By: Karen Pattock
It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m wide-awake. For no particular reason it’s been a restless night. My mind is bouncing from one topic to another at the speed of light. I try to refocus, over and over on one thing. I keep thinking that if I’m going to be awake I might as well make good use of my time. But here’s the deal… every single topic that I try to solve commands some form of courage, vulnerability or complete surrender and I don’t know if I’m up for that at 3am.
I realize that my restlessness is most likely a result of the windows being open in my bedroom. It’s the first night this year that we’ve been able to sleep with the windows open and I love it. I believe that my subconscious recognizes the smell of the spring air and knows that my favorite season is upon us. There is nothing like the smell of the cool spring air coming through the windows. A smile comes across my face because I know it’s going to be a great summer.
Soon after that I’m back to thinking about my “to-do” list for the next day… the next week… the next month. I think about how worried I am about my mother’s illness and her change in behavior lately. Then the smile returns to my face again because now I’m thinking about how proud I am of my daughter and how excited I am for her as she starts her new job. (See… when I said bouncing around from topic to topic I wasn’t kidding.)
At that point I remember an interview that I watched that morning with Brene’ Brown. I had never heard of her but it was a great interview. She’s an author and researcher that focuses on vulnerability and shame. As I start to apply what’s going on in my world into her 6-year study on vulnerability I realize that every situation I face takes courage, vulnerability and complete surrender.
If any of this sounds familiar to you I have a surprise for you at the end of this post so hang in there with me.
Our businesses take a huge amount of courage. To be a successful business owner we need to stand up and be seen. We need to take ownership of the fact that we are masterful in a certain subject. We are required to put ourselves out there in a way that others working a 9 to 5 job don’t have to do. I’m sure you know it isn’t always a comfortable feeling.
Once we put ourselves out there to get the attention we want as business owners we simultaneously find ourselves feeling very exposed and vulnerable. We often doubt our own abilities and have that nagging voice inside our head asking us, “Is today the day they find out I’m a fraud?” (I hope your laughing along with me right now.)
That’s the voice that tries to hold us back from reaching for our destiny. When push comes to shove you know you have what it takes to help others with your product or service… so tell that voice to “shut-up”.
Next is the part that often makes me feel the most uncomfortable. It’s complete surrender. If I’m showing courage to put myself out there, which in turn makes me feel vulnerable, I know the next natural step must be complete surrender. For total success in business we all must completely surrender to it. We must own our expertise. We must own our gifts and not focus so much on the things we don’t excel in, (we can hire people for those things).
So let me ask you a question… “Are you experiencing courage, vulnerability and complete surrender in your health business?”
The truth is you need to apply this technique to every part of your life. It is the most freeing thing I’ve every done for myself.
Here are a few tips to get you started on the path of freedom-
Courage: Don’t shy away from things that are new or that seem way out of your comfort zone. It’s through stretching yourself that you will become more and more comfortable in your own skin.
Vulnerability: From this moment on, erase from your mind that the definition of vulnerability is “weakness”. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Vulnerability is a complete act of BRAVERY! To open yourself up to admit things like, “I can’t do that…”, “I’m uncomfortable with that…” or “I don’t feel good enough to…” takes an immeasurable amount of bravery.
Complete Surrender: To do this right you need to surrender… completely! You need to stop listening to your harshest critic, (the voice inside your head). You need to put systems in place that will banish your feelings of insecurity. Lastly, believe me when I say that you don’t have to be good at everything. You don’t have to live in the world of perfectionism any longer. Instead surrender to your gifts and talents while letting the rest of the stuff go. Remember, the stuff you let go of is what someone else is gifted in so it all balances out.
Just by writing this blog post I believe I have shown courage, vulnerability and complete surrender. My intention was to give you the gift of freedom… freedom to get outside of your head and into your destiny.
My surprise for you is a link to the Ted talk that put Brene’ Brown did that really put her on the map. She’s a dynamic speaker and it’s worth a listen. I encourage you to listen immediately. You won’t be sorry you did. http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
If any part of this post resonated with you please share it with me by posting on my Facebook page by clicking here —>>> Karen’s Facebook Page. I can’t wait to hear from you.
With love and support,
Karen Pattock
How would you like 14 days of free coaching to learn more about newsletters, website design, creating your free offer, public speaking and much more? You can join over 800 other health practitioners that have profited tremendously by taking advantage of this offer. Don’t wait… Register now: http://www.https://karenpattock.com/free-14day-marketing
