Ever feel like the Coyote from Roadrunner, Looney Tunes, sprinting full speed ahead and as long as you don't look down, the abyss isn't there?
It's more common than you might think.
Just recently, I had a client in my practice who was on the brink of collapse. His whole life had revolved around having all the answers. Growing up in a large family where his older brother was not as vocal or intellectually inclined, his parents often turned to him to gauge his opinion on matters.
To avoid worrying his parents, he always projected an air of confidence that there was a solution, even when he didn't have one at the moment. In other words, he was mostly praised for his intelligence. He had since elevated this intelligence to an art form, relishing in puzzles and complex themes.
At work, he quickly became the go-to person for analyzing and solving complex issues. But here's the twist – he wasn't omniscient either, leading to cracks forming in the facade he had built of having all the answers.
These cracks only grew wider because knowing had become a survival mechanism. After all, if he didn't have the answers back then, his parents wouldn't pay him any attention, and as a child, he knew he couldn't make it alone. His solution at work was to work even harder to research even more.
We all know, you cant feel emotions when you are in your head...
The body had already received some signals, and suddenly there was a major signal: a panic attack.
Panic all over, heart rate skyrocketing, breathing becoming difficult, and if it ebbed away, it would return in the evening.
We had our conversations and luckily, his survival mechanism became clear pretty quickly.
Plus, he felt that if he had this survival mechanism, there was actually a 7-year-old boy behind the wheel of his life. A 7-year-old who is still trying to gain the approval of his parents! When he felt the pain of that, another course was possible.
But it's not just about accepting your emotions; it's realizing that you are more than just your emotions.
To unleash who he really is, we went back to a moment where he wasn't at all busy with his survival mechanisms. In his case, when he was playing with his little daughter, he felt completely free.
He also noticed that she didn't need to be anything else but herself. Just by focusing on her, feeling the love immediately, his own body became more relaxed. His breathing was low and full, and his mind was loosely in the moment.
Are you ready to look into the abyss? It's time to break free from self-doubt and unleash your true potential. Embrace the discomfort, unleash your authenticity!
