Corage: Stepping Into My Power, Part I - Happy Birthday

October 10, 2014 | Filed under: Commentary,Life | Posted by: Justin Shimko +

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It’s time to dedicate this next year to stepping into your own power. Here is the first of the monthly series on how to do that.

By Sally Eames

My birthday was last month. As a present, I gave myself an entire day of care, meditation and exploration: all dedicated to stepping boldly into the next year, however that shaped itself.

Very early that morning—while sitting on my roof —I realized that “stepping into the next year” actually meant “stepping fully into my own power” for the first time in my life. No more excuses. No more letting someone else do the hard things for me (or hoping they would). No more self-apologizing. No more playing small. Instead, I stepped into moving through life being fully present, playing fully for keeps and committed to living my truth.

I want that same thing for every person out there, so I’m dedicating all of my October posts to various facets of claiming power, using my own experience as a frame.

What does it mean to step fully into my own power?

I need to step up my game. No more playing small; I either commit to playing fully or I don’t play. Because playing small in a game I don’t really care about doesn’t serve anybody.
Which means I need to say no to and let go of those things that no longer serve or feed me. It doesn’t mean those things have no worth, just that they no longer fit with where my life is going.
It’s time to take the risks I know I need to take in order to grow.
I need to try some new things. New classes, new experiences. I need to change things up and dive deep into Beginner Mind.
I need to keep what’s working in my life and buy fully into it. I need to treat the things that matter as the necessary parts of my life they’ve become.
I must make time for the things I love. My relationship is important. My friends and family are important. My art is important. These things are all too important to be swept aside for less necessary things.
I need to cut myself some slack. I’ve never done this before, never gone all-in this way. I’m bound to fail sometimes as I learn. I need to be gentle with myself—and forgiving—when that happens.
This is not going to be easy. And I need to be okay with that.
I need to rededicate my self to this decision every day, as a reminder of what I’ve chosen and where I’m going. Complacency will allow me to forget the choices and the stakes.

The results of living these choices so far? I am Totally. Free. I cannot begin to express how liberating this decision has been. Yes, I’m scared. Yes, I have doubts, but mostly what I feel is pure, alive, fully-invested freedom. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the month brings.

What would your life look like if you chose to fully claim your power?

Who could you become if you dedicated yourself every day to being fully and unapologetically yourself?

What would you add to the above list if you were taking this step?

Sally Eames, CPCC, ACC operates Corage Coaching. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active coach and a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute. She is also an International Coach Federation Associate Certified Coach. For the full text of this column, please visit her blog. For more information on her work as a Co-active coach, please visit her site at havecorage.wordpress.com.

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Justin Shimko

Justin Shimko is an award-winning writer and political analyst. He began as a reporter in his college days at the University of Oklahoma, writing for The Oklahoma Daily (rated as one of the best collegiate newspapers in the nation) and The Oklahoman, the statewide newspaper, winning awards from the CSPA and the Society of Professional Journalists. He later moved on to research and writing work for a number of political campaigns. His email is [email protected]