And what if she never needed
The whispers of right and wrong,
Do this or do that,
But instead thrives on
What she discovers inside
Over and over again,
Always returning her
To the shore
Of her own self-awareness
©Ashley Castle Barnes
I shared with a roomful of my L&D peers last week that I’ve struggled my entire adult life with confidence.
That was not an easy admission, but it’s the feedback I’ve received most over the last 20+ years.
It was well-meaning advice, but it never came with an instruction book of how to actually be more confident.
So I spent a lot of time figuring it out. Reading books, taking courses, asking for advice, hiring coaches.
All extremely helpful, and some even life-changing. The healing work I’ve done over the years has been invaluable.
And every single bit of it has pointed back to one immutable truth: confidence comes from “following our weird”.
Aligning with the needs and desires of our true selves and holding that sacrosanct, even when if feels like everyone and everything is pulling us in a different direction.
Even when it feels like every thought, every choice, every decision is going against the grain so that we feel exposed and vulnerable.
I think we all know this deep down from an early age. But for many of us, our younger selves simply didn’t have the tools, resources, or support to anchor into this belief strongly enough for it to survive into adulthood.
It’s not too late to reclaim and embrace it again.
In fact, I’d say it’s imperative.
How are you following your weird today?