Many of my clients tell me: “ I became the person I thought the world wanted me to be.” Does it sound familiar?
We often cut off parts of our expression to fit the mould of what our companies, our society, our families, and even we ourselves think we should be. We think we need to look, act, be a certain way hoping we will belong. In seeking this sense of belonging, which is one of the basic human needs, we actually achieve something that is quite different. We get to "fit in" and conform…we lose touch with the fullness of who we really are.
When this happens, it’s time to get to know ourselves again. To get back to the heart of who we are. I think that the continuous and restless push of showing only our best selves can lead us to start losing sight of who we are, what our gifts are, and what lights us up. I wrote The Whisper with the desire of connecting with the whole of me not just the part in the highlight, and feel more clear, more aligned...more free.
We are all performers, donning various masks and assuming different roles to fit the expectations of society, family, and ourselves.
Whether it's the dutiful employee, the supportive friend, the caring parent, or the ambitious go-getter, we juggle these roles with precision, striving to meet the perceived standards set by others and by ourselves.
Beneath the roles lies a silent struggle, one that often goes unnoticed until it's too late: the battle against burnout and stress. We become so entangled in fulfilling these roles that we lose sight of our true selves, sacrificing our well-being in the process.
The root cause of this burnout? Doing something right for the wrong reasons. We excel in our roles, meeting deadlines, attending social gatherings, and ticking off boxes on our endless to-do lists, but we do so out of obligation rather than genuine passion or purpose. The result? We become depleted, emotionally exhausted, and disconnected from ourselves.
It's time to break free from this cycle of exhaustion and reclaim our whole, true selves. Let's pause and reflect on which roles we are assuming. Are we pursuing them because they bring us joy and fulfilment, or are we chasing after external validation and societal expectations?
It requires vulnerability, imperfection, and the courage to say no to roles that drain us. It starts with self-awareness and introspection. Take the time to identify the roles you play in your life and examine what underlying need they serve. Can you give yourself permission to let them go? Which new choices can you make?
The process requires us to embark on a journey inward to connect with our true and authentic-self. I invite you to reconnect with the integrity, joy and desire of being free, beyond those roles. When you do so, what success, failure, and desires look like? Lear more about it here.
A challenging choice that may require renewal (of work conditions, vision, career, life-path, etc…). A renewal of old myths, old narratives and obsolete systems. What you choose?
If you’re interested in learning more about my services and would like to discuss any consultancy, workshops, talks, please reach out.
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