What is Your Need to BE STRONG is Taking from YOU
I made this self-portrait many years ago. When I thought it was powerful to do everything by myself. I believed it was important to BE STRONG.
Take a moment to really look and feel into this self-portrait. Can you see what I gained by being strong, and doing everything myself?
What do you see?
When I look at this picture, I see a woman full of light and not allowing anyone close enough to experience her light. I see a beautiful, lonely woman, exhausted and depleted. At the time, the thought being strong and doing everything myself felt powerful, but…
What my need to BE STRONG took from me:
That need kept walls up between me and loved ones because I was too scared to let anyone know when I struggled. I alienated people that wanted to help me succeed because I refused to accept generosity or help.
Being “strong” also held me back connecting deeply loved ones.
It kept me from doing the best job possible and completing goals. And it prevented me from achieving dreams that were too big for me to do alone.
I did not understand at the time, but being strong exhausted me. It took more than it gave. This picture highlights the harsh reality of my need to be strong– alone, depleted, lonely, and having pushed everyone away.
What is it taking from you?
If you step outside of yourself and look in (as I did in this portrait), can you see what your need to be strong is taking from you?
- The inability to ask for help leads to incomplete projects and the inability to create and accomplish big things.
- Not allowing yourself to feel your emotions leads to illness, triggers, and emotional over-reactions.
- Not letting people in leads to loneliness and surface level relationships.
- Not accepting help pushes people away and makes them less likely to show up when you really need them.
- All of these things will do damage to your self esteem.
Schedule a Free Step UP and take the first step to uncovering how your need to be strong is holding you back.
Check out this awesome episode of Self-Sabotaging Sagas on the need to be strong with Resilience Expert Jessica Corvo here.