The first step to getting unstuck is telling yourself the truth. Most people never make it to that step. The truth isn’t always flattering. And we don’t always know what to do with it. But here’s the reality: The truth is the only thing that will empower you to breakthrough to your highest potential. Whether it is the truth about that bad habit, the truth about a relationship, or the truth about your circumstances, acknowledging it is freeing.
But here’s what it takes to face the truth: Courage.
There’s a little a phrase I love to use, and I even teach it to coaches in our personal and executive coaching program. It is phrase that allows you to notice the grain of truth that might just be surrounded by many positives. Perhaps you are mostly doing well in your career, but you have a nagging feeling it is time for a change. Maybe that relationship looks great from the outside, but you know something isn’t quite right. Or maybe your child’s teacher has pointed out a problem, and it makes you feel defensive because you’ve tried your best to parent and teach them well, but if you’re honest, you’ve noticed the same problem the teacher is now pointing out. Take a deep breath and fill in the rest of this sentence in a way that’s true for you right now:
I hate to admit, but __________________________________________________________.
Whatever you fill in, don’t begrudge it. Embrace it. It is an opportunity to address what needs to be addressed. It is the chance to be vulnerable enough to ask for help, find a creative solution, and let go of perfectionism in favor of authentic happiness.
If you want to go to the next level, be willing to bring into the light the challenges you’d rather ignore. For it is in the process of stepping out of your comfort zone that you stretch and grow. And the courage and wisdom you develop in the process will take you to a new and more powerful way of being.
