Ditch the pressure

I don’t do overwhelm.

I don’t do pressure.

I don’t do pushing myself to exhaustion and insanity.

I used to.

Until I broke myself doing so.

Unwilling to downsize my dreams, I searched for an alternative way. That way became The Gentle Rebellion.

It's not easy to say no to overwhelm, pressure and pushing on through. You're pushing against the norm, against the tide of most of the people around you. You're retraining your mind to resist the fear of not doing something and letting someone down.

It's an act of rebellion. It involves taking a stand for yourself and your life. Which can feel impossible and exhausting at first.

Being the odd one out who's saying ‘I want a full life but I don't do overwhelm, pressure and exhaustion’ requires courage and commitment.

But it works.

And that’s what matters.

Finding the way to live the full life you desire, matters.

Doing so gently, secretly, without taking a stand, clenching your fists ready for a fight or wasting energy justifying yourself makes it possible and fun.

Gently rebelling is playful. It taps into that part of yourself you lose when you get too deep into pushing on-through mode.

Instead of ‘how?’ ask ’why not?’ because anything less is A Nonsense.

A full life is not only possible without the usual overwhelm and pressure and exhaustion but requires resisting that well-worn path - which as you're reading this, I’m guessing isn't working for you anyway.

Gently rebelling against the normal, ridiculously stressy-pants way involves taking a leap of faith, being open to the idea that, for you, there is an alternative way.

From there, it becomes an adventure in finding the freedom to be yourself, more and more fully.

The more you do this, the easier and more amazing your adventure becomes.

And I say this as someone who just walked 160 miles by removing the pressure to do so. I'm still processing the extraordinary gifts of taking 2 weeks out of my life to walk The Camino de Santiago in a Gently Rebellious way. Stick around if you want to hear more.

Let me be proof that you can do the impossible without pressure, overwhelm and damage to yourself.

Wishing you freedom from overwhelm so you can think straight and see all the easier ways to move through your day.

Heidi

P.S. I’m intending to open the doors to The Gentle Rebel Community again this summer. It’s a low-cost option for people, who like you, want to live their life fully without the usual overwhelm, pressure and exhaustion. You don’t have to rebel alone. If you’re interested in knowing more please subscribe to A Gently Rebellious read to stay informed.