Early one Sunday morning, while shopping for groceries, I overheard a young woman talking loudly on her phone. The store was quiet, and she was nearly shouting as she swiftly passed me, pounding her feet on the floor cruising fast down the same aisle where I was shopping.
I couldn’t help overhearing her (loud) end of the conversation:
“…and that’s what I keep telling you. You have to strut, don’t tiptoe when you’re around them…!” she shouted.
Her advice to whomever she was speaking was quick (loud) and, to me, profound and timely.
As I listened, I began thinking she was speaking about being confident, not meek, powerful, not powerless, visible, not invisible, and with an attitude of I am important instead of I’m just a (fill in the blank) ___.
The Universe was shouting at me by placing the pair of us in the same aisle.
It was good advice I learned inadvertently from a stranger who seemed to be on a mission as she walked around the store. I thought she was clearly onto something, whoever she was, and I admired her spunk and knew I could learn from her advice.
How can this work for you?
“Strut don’t tiptoe” is easier said than done. Some of you (and me) have spent your lives putting everyone else’s needs before your own. And others (me too) find themselves afraid to step out of comfort, giving fear the power it doesn’t deserve. We’ve not allowed ourselves to keep going forward, fearful of what may lie ahead. But, with a strutting attitude, we can start to make changes and work through our fear.
A strutting attitude doesn’t mean you bulldoze your way through people to get what you want. That’s how bullies live. You’re not a bully. This attitude is about taking care of you first for a change. It’s also facing, then conquering your fears one step at a time.
It’s not easy getting bolder, more productive, pushing yourself a step further, and loving yourself more, but it is all achievable if you open up a bit and try something new for size.
“Strut don’t tiptoe,” JoAnn style!
Writing and blogging make my heart sing. But fear of not putting out perfect content, the constantly changing technology, and haters leaving nasty comments kept me from being as productive as I wanted here on my blog. I was defeating my purpose by writing and then deleting weekly posts. After hearing the young woman share her sage advice, I knew I needed to change.
These days I let myself write perfectly imperfect posts (they’re my new thing), I’ve taken courses to help me better manage the technology, and I block all hateful comments. Fear sometimes still rules me, but not as often as before. I’m starting to strut, not tiptoe around here.
“Strut don’t tiptoe” was an epiphany for me. I was in the right frame of mind and finally open to see how I was sabotaging myself from a productive life.
Now, how about you? Can you join me and allow yourself to become a strutting goddess/god maverick? Please tell us what you think in the comment section below.
xoxo
JoAnn
Peace.