It's not you.

This week I was talking to a client who is losing confidence in herself because she’s in an organisation where it is impossible for her to be the incredibly competent person she actually is. Which reminded me of when that happened to me and of just how damaging overwhelm can be to those of us who are high driven and big hearted.

When you don't want to let anyone down it can be so easy to inadvertently let yourself down. We start to think there’s something fundamentally wrong with us. We start to focus a lot of our energy on trying to fix ourselves, toughen up so we can try to fix the organisation we have committed ourselves to working within.

But the truth is, there is nothing fundamentally wrong - with you or the organisation. It’s just a very bad fit. All those signs and symptoms of overwhelm are just useful information to guide you away from things not meant for you and towards better things (the hidden options you will only be able to see with hindsight, when the dust has settled, when the overwhelm has lifted).

If there is one thing I would want this client to really get, if there was one thing I would want to impress upon my former lost, burnt out self, it would be this:

It’s not you. It’s overwhelm.

And overwhelm is optional.

So, this week, I decided to read part of my book (Overwhelm is Optional available from Amazon) and release it as a podcast but also on youtube - because I decided it would be particularly lovely to include the dogs.

So many people have commented on how lovely it is to have the dogs in coaching sessions and snoring on the podcast that I thought I’d include them on purpose this time. 

You can watch the episode here. I hope it makes you feel seen and understood. I hope it soothes you and lifts you.

Let me know what you think. 

Have an unexpectedly lovely week.

Heidi