Ever heard the saying “When in doubt, lean out”?
I first read it in a small but mighty book called Silent Power by Stuart Wilde, who writes:
“There is a silent power within you, an inner knowing…as you begin to trust your power it can lead you step by step to the next person and place in your life.”
↑↑↑ I love these words.
They remind me to trust my intuition. And the divine timing of life.
To remember that life is working FOR us, not AGAINST us.
If only we could relax our shoulders, take a step back, and breathe a bit more.
And remember there’s a time for both doing AND being.
(I mean we’re human beings after all)
But I get it…easier said than done.
Like many women I was raised to be ‘productive.’
To believe my worth was tied to my doing-ness. Not so much to my being-ness.
Often when I’ve tried to slow down, do less, and enjoy life more, my inner critic chimes in with…
“What’s your problem? You’ve got stuff to do! Why aren’t you doing it?”
It’s a voice I’ve heard a lot in my life.
But am getting better at overriding.
I know I’m worthy because I AM.
Not because of what I DO.
(So are you!)
And sometimes I’m either flat out tired from all my responsibilities, and I just need to take a flippin’ break.
Or I’m just not ready to take action and move forward. Even if I may want to.
That’s when I remind myself of Stuart Wilde’s wise words: when in doubt, lean out.
Take this blog for example…
I had several ideas of what I wanted to write about.
But I couldn’t seem to nail it down.
I wrote multiple drafts but try as I might, I couldn’t finish any of them.
So rather than beat myself up for not leaning in MORE (and forcing myself to write when it didn’t feel good), I took Mr. Wilde’s advice…
And I leaned out.
I put my computer away and went to my fav bookstore instead.
I gathered up a bunch of books that piqued my interest, sat in a big comfy chair by the window, and got lost in the pages.
Pure ‘leaning out’ heaven. 🙏
Then I walked to the little coffee shop next door, grabbed a cup of dark roast and a big chocolate chip cookie, and sat down to write this blog.
Which felt so good! And soooooo much easier.
Like being in the flow always does!
I’m learning to let the Universe lead me to “the next person and place in my life.”
That book store, this coffee shop, this blog for you.
So whenever you find yourself trying too hard, or getting caught up in all the doing-ness of life, I invite you to pause and ask yourself this:
Where are you leaning in a bit too hard…
To find an answer, gain clarity, or make something happen in your life before it’s mean to?
And how can you allow yourself, when in doubt, to lean out instead?
You might be surprised at the magic 💫 that happens when you do.
Kerry xo