Women's Empowerment Stories ...

Stand in the Spotlight!
~ Corrie Woods

“If what others thought of you wasn’t important – if the only thing that mattered was how your heart felt about your life – what would you be doing differently?”
– Melody Beattie

Just imagine, the stage curtains are drawn and you are standing backstage, alone in the darkness. The house is full. Anticipation is building. You feel butterflies in your stomach. You know when the curtains open, a magnificent woman will be revealed standing center stage, in the spotlight, fully expressed. And, frankly, the thought terrifies you.

What does fully expressed really mean? A word that comes to mind is authentic. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, authentic means: true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.

To live authentically means that you truly hold nothing back. You believe in who you are and the gifts you have to share. Yet, as simple as this might sound, there are countless reasons people have difficulty living authentically, difficulty showing up in full color, difficulty being fully expressed.

My awareness of my tendency to show up as “less than” grew out of a handful of words shared by an insightful support person in my life. For all the fabulous things that I had going on in my life, for all that I was being and becoming that I was proud of, his questions went something like this: Corrie, in what ways are you holding back from really showing up? How and where do you reduce your presence in the world?

I realized in an instant, given how deeply those words resonated, that he was onto something.
My line of exploration and inquiry evolved over time and began with:
In what ways am I holding back?
    And on to:
What am I afraid of?
    And finally:
What steps can I take to jump onto center stage in my life and stand in the spotlight beaming, as a fully expressed woman?
What an evolution this began and what a change this brought to my life and to who I am becoming!

There are barriers many women face that stand in the way of courageously, joyfully showing up. The four most common blocks – The Four Big
Bullies – are:

the should
the have to
the yeah-but
the I’ll get around to it when.

The ability to knock these obstacles down, one by one, comes first with noticing how they present themselves in your life. By noticing and naming these culprits, you build your awareness. That is step one to effective change.

The Should: I should be more like so and so. I should look different. I should consider other
people’s needs before my own.

The Have To: I have to work in this job I hate. I have to avoid touchy subjects with so and so. I have to do countless things I really do not enjoy and that’s life.

The Yeah-but: Yeah-but, I am too out of shape to get into shape. Yeah-but, I am too old to get hired for a great job.

The I’ll get around to it when: I’ll get around to eating a better diet when the holidays have passed. I’ll get around to managing my finances when I get caught up. I’ll get around to writing that important letter when I finish up the things on my To Do List.

The roles you perform in response to these nasty bullies, the masks you wear when interacting with the outside world, and the time you spend putting off real joy gets in the way of living a fully expressed life on your own terms. Over time, you may find the person you have crafted is a far cry from who you really are.

In time you can return home. In time you can set masks aside. In time you can celebrate landing the role of a lifetime – that of being your glorious, authentic self. How to prepare for this starring role in your life?

• Remove the masks. Notice in what ways you may be showing up as someone else or for someone else in your life. Take off those masks that get in the way of your authentic expression and put them on the shelf.
• Practice extraordinary self-care. Be number one on your own priority list and commit to taking great care of yourself so that when the curtains open, you will be beaming with pride and confidence.
• Get clear about your gifts. We all have unique and stunning gifts to give. Perhaps you can teach, offer a helping hand, share a warm and caring heart, or present a fresh perspective that leads to new solutions. Step far away from what you should do and identify what makes your heart sing. Acknowledge and embrace your gifts and then share them with the world.
• Choose your support circle wisely. Be prepared to put some distance between yourself and those who do not support you showing up in all your glory.

It takes guts to stand in the spotlight, but the rewards are rich: greater joy, no regrets, expressing your passions rather than holding them at bay, the flood of incredible people who show up to play with you because your light is shining far and wide. Take center stage, completely expressed in your life, and you will find that the rewards last a lifetime.

Begin crafting a new script today with yourself in the starring role. When you commit to live authentically, the curtains will open wide for you. There will be no more hiding backstage in the shadows. As you proudly take your place on center stage in the spotlight, your gifts to the world will be revealed, the audience will cheer, and you will have the time of your life!

~ Corrie Woods

Excerpt from Corrie’s book The Woman’s Field Guide to Exceptional Living, Practical Steps for Living a Big, Bold, Beautiful Life. Reprinted with permission. To learn more visit Corrie’s website at http://www.womansfieldguide.com