When I posted my Q&A post on Instagram I actually didn’t get any responses so I figured in this month’s Q&A episode I’d ask you the questions. This episode might be a little vulnerable for you but I hope it serves to bring about some ah-ha moments and subtle internal shifts.
Q1. Do you focus on the giving or the receiving?
If you’re reading this post (or listening to the podcast) chances are you’re heavy on the giving. This will show up in all aspects of your life and relationships. It’s important to learn how to receive; there’s a different energy shift when you’re in the energy of receiving. Receiving is a very feminine energy state and feminine energy is relaxing, open, creative, and playful. It’s about being rather than doing. Everyone has access and balance to both masculine and feminine energies. A strength can become a weakness at any point if it’s overused.
Here’s a quick test you can do to see where you fall on the spectrum of masculine/feminine energy. When you’re putting lotion on, are you focused on the hand that’s applying the lotion or are you focused on the arm or the leg that is receiving the lotion? There’s a subtle shift you can do to change the focus from the hands that are applying the lotion to how your legs feel when they receive the lotion. Shifting your focus can help de-stress areas of your life.
Q2. What are you trying to prove?
My marketing coach Brit, of JAM Marketing Group, asked me this question in one of our recent coaching calls, and it really helped me through some recent things at work.
Whether you’re aware of if you’re trying to prove something or just asking yourself if you’re trying to prove something can help lift a weight of yourself. Recognize that you’re trying to prove something can shift your energy to release that burden. Think of an area of your life where you’re struggling or things feel stressful. What are you trying to prove and to whom are you trying to prove it? Most likely you’re trying to prove you’re some version of enough, you may think it’s to prove it to someone else, deep down your inner critic is wanting to prove something to yourself.
Q3. What are you responsible for?
On the flipside what are you not responsible for that you are taking responsibility for? Most likely you have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. Chances are this isn’t in just one area of your life, because how you do anything is how you do everything. There comes a tipping point where shouldering the burden of the responsibility of things that you’re not responsible for becomes too heavy and actually prevents you from having really good ideas and doing a really good job and being present, living up to your potential in the areas of your life (the tasks, projects, relationships) that you are actually responsible for.
Believing that you can change the world becomes a double-edged sword because you believe you can change the world so you have to change the world. That then causes your energy to drop low because you realize that you can’t change everything. When you have that energy drop that brings your whole energy level down and you don’t have the energy resources to come up with creative thoughtful solutions to the parts of the world that you can change.
Q4. What are you not responsible for that you’re taking responsibility for?
It’s okay to let go of the responsibility for things that aren’t yours. You can let some of the balls drop, you don’t have to solve all of the problems. Taking responsibility for what you’re responsible for and letting others take responsibility for what they’re responsible for is a spiritual exercise. Slow down, take a deep breath and remember and trust that other people will come through.
3 Last quick questions for you:
- Do you follow me on Instagram? If not you can come follow me here: @joanna_platt.
- Do you know someone who’d love this podcast? Send them your favorite episode and share Love Always, Jo with them, I’d really appreciate it!
- Are you curious about what a coaching session with me would be like or just coaching in general? You can book a free call with me here.
Have a question you’d like me to answer in a future episode? Follow me on Instagram and send me a message.
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