Because I Said I Would…Building Self-Trust
We are all on a journey of some sort. Living the Creative Life is about looking inside and seeing where your journey is leading you. Recently, my journey has reminded me about the value of building self-trust. Building self-trust is a powerful gift for a Creative to give themselves because it often means they can more fully share their gifts with the World.
Tips for Building Self-Trust
Here is one of my favorite tips to help Creatives stand up and say to themselves and to the World…. I am doing it because I said I would.
Start a Conversation
In college as I was studying theatre, I discovered how powerful it could be to have a conversation on paper with myself when I wasn’t so sure I could follow through on my ideas or keep my commitments to myself and others. Inside my journal, I would begin a deep talk from the part of myself that needed to be heard and let another part hear them out, even going so far as to answer the first part back in the voice of a loving, nurturing parent or creative guide. Over time, I began to have those conversations more subtly in my head, and now, they are part of my daily self-awareness. Occasionally, when I get stuck in the I-can’t’s or I’ll-put-it-off-til-tomorrow’s, I get real with myself on paper. And then I dive into trying to understand the stuck part by listening from a place of love and compassion. I began calling them Inner World Conversations.
The Inner World Conversations go something like this….
If you would like to build your because I said I would Self-Trust Muscle, get in touch with the Reluctant Part inside by starting your own Inner World Conversation. Begin by using two different pens, one for each inner voice. Ask yourself what the Reluctant Part (the fearful, stuck, little, hurt, unsure part) of you needs to say, and then invite that part to share. When you feel you have expressed the first layer of what you need to say, stop and read it back to yourself. Don’t edit. Don’t over think. Pick up the other pen and invite the Heart-Centered Part (loving, compassionate, listening, peace-making part) of yourself to respond in a supportive way.
The back and forth can go on several times as the Reluctant Part finds a sense of being able to fully express itself and the Heart-Centered Part discovers how to help it feel heard and supported. The goal isn’t necessarily to make yourself do something, it is to build trust with yourself. As a Creative, the more you foster a space of listening for difficult emotions like fear, doubt, and worry, the more you can likely build an Inner World that helps shift those emotions to deeper levels of peace, enthusiasm, passion, and ease. This can help shift an automatic kind of living to an intentional, self-supportive way of being. Lots of magic happens there!
Share Your Self-Trust Ah-ha’s
I would love to hear your ah-ha’s around self-trust. Do you find yourself struggling there? If not, what are your secrets to building your because I said I would Self-Trust Muscle? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments.