Once upon a time, I spoke to a woman who said, “I don’t feel adequate enough to talk to you.”

How’s that for an opening?

This woman had reasons to feel less-than, stuck, and scared. To protect her privacy, I won’t share those reasons here. It suffices to say that she had a tough history.

She dreamed of helping other people,
but struggled to help herself.

When I encouraged her to get support for her journey, she made an effort and asked for help once. But when she didn’t hear back, she stopped asking.

I challenged her to follow up again, knowing that it would be difficult. (As I shared in yesterday’s video, sometimes making the choice to save our own lives is really scary.)

She said, “No. I can’t … It’s too painful.” She said that God would have to step in, because she wasn’t willing to do any more for herself.

This is what I wrote to her.

“Given your history, it makes sense that you’d struggle to reach out for help and support. But here’s what I’ll say: You have to rest and take care of yourself, yes, but you have also got to reach.

In this case, that means following up on the request that you made.

You’re scared that [they] won’t support you, but the bigger question is: Will YOU support you?

Will YOU ask even if you feel uncomfortable, even if you’re scared to hear no? That’s how you take a stand for what matters to you.

In one sense, of course, it matters what they say about your request. It matters whether they extend help.

But in another sense, it doesn’t matter, because what matters more is whether or not YOU reach.

In the New Testament accounts, Jesus is always responding to people who reach: The woman who touched his cloak who had been bleeding for years, the people who lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof.

God does help us in miraculous ways,
and we also have to reach.

I’ll quote Cheryl Strayed – a woman who has been through a great deal of abuse and trauma. This is Cheryl writing about a young girl, sharing what it takes to heal:

“She had to do more than hold on. She had to reach. She had to want it more than she’d ever wanted anything. She had to grab like a drowning girl for every good thing that came her way and she had to swim … away from every bad thing. She had to … run as far as she could in the direction of her best and happiest dreams across the bridge that was built by her own desire to heal.”

I hope that’s helpful; know that it is said with love and gentleness and a desire for you to rise.

I want that for you. Will you want it for yourself?”

That’s my question for you today, dear reader: Whatever your dream is, do you want it enough to take action, to be fierce on your own behalf?

If so, book a call on my calendar. We’ll talk about what you want and what’s stopping you from creating it. Together, we’ll figure out if your next step is a one-day coaching intensive with me.

These calls are available for the next 2 days only, through this Friday, January 11th. This is the last call for those who are ready to reach.

Yours with gratitude,
Caroline

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