Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey; they don’t need to, it’s not for them… -Anonymous

A friend of mine recently asked me, “Are you off the porch?”  I responded, yes.  She then asked, “Are you going to change the name of your company.”  I simply said no, especially since she was quite tipsy.  But had she been up to a real conversation, I would have shared how Getting off the Porch is a journey, not a destination.  As soon as you are “off the porch” in one area of your life, you will either be tested to stay off the porch, or you will find another area of your life where a push off the porch is needed.  I can honestly say, as I sit to write my blog post each month, I can think of at least two or more ways where I’ve been challenged.  Around every corner there is a person or situation that challenges my truth, who I choose to be, and how I choose to live.  Situations that are in direct conflict with who I am now, as opposed to the girl that lived on the porch.  I can feel it in my body.  My body literally speaks to me when I am uncomfortable and need to make a change, and now I listen.

Prior to my journey off the porch, my body spoke to me, but what I heard was a voice telling me to adapt who I was to fit into the mold others expected.  Now the voice I hear simply says, “This is not for you.”  That uncomfortable feeling in my stomach and spirit is my trigger and it is a sign that my truth or authenticity is being jeopardized. It is up to me to fight for it.  When I say fight, I don’t mean confront the people or situation.  I don’t mean push my truth on others.  I do mean, however, that I need to have an honest conversation with myself.  It means I need to be still, and not run from the discomfort.  In that stillness, the answers always come, and the path becomes crystal clear.  In fact, I don’t even have to broadcast my decision, because people know based on my actions. This process is so exciting for me, because each time I am challenged, each time I trust myself to know what is good for my soul, and each time I see my growth; it is conformation and validation of all the work I’ve done.

This month I experienced two situations that challenged me both professionally and personally.  In both situations I felt attacked.  I had to literally walk away, breathe, and give myself the space to understand what was going on in my body.  I could feel my heartbeat rise, my stomach churning, and my muscles tense up.  In both situations, I took time to process (not react emotionally), stood strong in what I believed, and in the end, the resolution felt right in my soul.  So as you see, you are never completely off the porch.  Life is a never ending journey full of twists and turns, and how we navigate those twists and turns is always being tested.  I navigate those turns with a lot more honesty than ever before, and every time I do, it gives me more and more confidence for the next opportunity waiting just around the corner.

My Takeaways:

• Trust myself and Life.  Life is going to unfold the way it intends, and I have to trust that I know what is good for me in the process of it unfolding.
• Listen to the signs that life is constantly giving you.  The answers are right there waiting for you to be still enough to hear them.

My challenge for you:

Pay attention to your body.  The next time you find yourself in a situation that you feel uncomfortable, instead of adapting, ask yourself the hard questions, and then give yourself the space and time to hear the answer.  I promise it will come and it will be crystal clear for you!