That day the earth moved – literally
Recently, I had the pleasure of conducting a full-day workshop for rising female leaders in a Fortune 500 company I have as client.
A fun fact about this particular workshop was that it was for women in Australia and China. (This still blows my mind that I can be seeing and talking with people who are on another continent!)
The overarching theme was how to show up and lead authentically no matter what and there was plenty of rich discussion on the various topics I presented.
One session was focused on imposter syndrome and self-doubt – how and why it shows up at work and in life – and what it’s costing. This one is always the most compelling part of the day and I make sure to leave plenty of space and time for everyone to share and process.
I taught them this critical voice in their heads is the Judge – or as I call it Judgy McJudgerson – and we did an exercise to practice how to lessen its grip on our thinking and focus more on the wisdom we all have inside.
At a very powerful moment, I noticed a few of the women looking worried, so I stopped presenting and asked the women in Melbourne what was happening. Their response? “We’re having a little earthquake so we’ll mute our mics and turn off our cameras.”
Once everyone was confirmed safe, we continued with the day and later found out it was not “little” – it was a 6.0!
Later, as I was reviewing the workshop in my mind, I realized that at the very moment one of the participants was sharing her realization that listening to her Judge say cruel things to her and how much that holds her back at work and in life – that’s when the earth moved.
Talk about making a point!
As she realized this thinking was one of her biggest barriers to career progression, she got confirmation loud and clear that her realization was spot on.
Fascinating, right?
Another thing I noticed and really took in was that every woman thought these kinds of thoughts only happened to them. They thought they were alone in this experience.
What they each learned on a grand scale is that everyone has this negative and cruel voice in their heads telling them they don’t know enough or they aren’t measuring up. It judges you and it judges others.
It doesn’t matter what part of the world you live in, the Judge is alive and well in each of our minds.
There’s comfort in knowing you’re not alone in this, right?
And – what can you do about it?
Stop believing everything your brain tells you.
Become a compassionate observer of your thoughts and decide to begin the journey to creating a judgment-free zone.
Imagine what our world could look like if we all did this for ourselves – and others.
Now that’s the kind of earth-shaking movement I can get behind.
P.S. Are you ready to stop listening to your Judgy McJudgerson and take charge of your life? The first step is to schedule a complimentary Discovery Call with me today. Tell me all the things – and I’ll show you what you need to do to break free.