So many of my coaching clients recently have been showing up ‘tired’. Not ‘I’ve missed a few good night’s sleep’ tired, but more of a tiredness from their soul. No wonder. Carrying around our professional armour (perfectionsim, productivity as a measure of self-worth, comparison and opinion, over-functioning, being the ‘strong one’) is a really tough ask.
Start of pull-quote
…being the strong one is a really tough ask
End of quote
Start of pull-quote
…allow ourselves the time to refuel
End of quote
It caused me to reflect on just how many of us wear a ‘resilience mask’ as part of our armour, and how important it is for us to press pause and allow ourselves the time to re-fuel.
My head knows the deal, my head knows the score,
So why is it sometimes so tough?
‘Stay open, bounce back, keep going, endure’,
Yet never quite feeling enough…
‘Resilience!’ they say, the new trendy thing,
‘Something to build!’, ‘You should grow!’.
Ouch, inner voice you’re loud (with a sting).
Mask re-attached – ‘now on with the show’.
This mask serves me well, it’s my shield, keeps me safe,
To protect from emotion and pain.
Yet whilst I am covered I don’t have the space,
To breathe, and my strength starts to wane.
I need to press pause, to reflect and just breathe,
Reconnect with my values, my purpose.
Some compassion for me, so I can believe:
My strength is withIN (not a mask on the surface).
