I know that this baby is going to resonate with many of you because I get letters about this topic more than any other.
“I want to put myself out there more with my business, but I fear…being rejected.”
Of course you do, who doesn’t? We all want to belong and be accepted. We all want our offerings or gifts to resonate and be appreciated and I’m pretty sure that even the most confident and bold among us still have twinges of panic about not being enough or not being right or not being wanted.
This week’s practice is totally fun even though you’ll likely loath doing it. I say, buddy up, find someone else who wants to venture off and give this one a try and you can come back together and compare war wounds.
What’s that they say about the best way to overcome fear? Face it head on. Forget about trying to polish your offering or quietly build your confidence.
Do this one thing, over and over and over…click below to watch and grow!
(If you want your own practice custom designed for you, click here.)
Practice: Go get rejected.
That’s it. Practice being rejected. I don’t recommend doing this in the area where it’s the scariest to start. Begin in an area that’s not so heated and full of meaning for you.
Maybe ask some people out, make unreasonable requests of others with the intention of hearing ‘no’ from them.
While you’re in the midst of your attempt to get yourself rejected, pay attention to what’s happening in your direct experience, what sensations are pulsing through your body? Are you blushing? Is your breathing restricted? Palms sweaty? What’s happening?
After doing the practice, play with these reflective questions to bring more awareness to what’s happening for you, in particular, what limiting beliefs tend to run your show and the ways in which your holding back perpetuates them.
1. What conclusions did I draw or meaning did I ascribe to how this went?
2. In what ways are these conclusions or meanings familiar? What belief about myself or others am I reinforcing by ascribing this?
3. What’s another possible conclusion or likely meaning that’s actually more empowering.
And then of course, there’s always the possibility that you don’t end up getting rejected. In which case, you either need to take more risks with this practice, or you’ll discover in a very experiential way, that putting yourself out there isn’t all that frightening after all.
I hope this practice is just the right combo or edgy, playful and useful.
Love,
Chela