From feeling trapped to feeling free
One of the themes I have observed in my 10+ years in mentorship is that of women feeling trapped.
⟶ Trapped in motherhood (no matter how much you adore your kids).
⟶ Trapped in a job.
⟶ Trapped in a relationship.
⟶ Trapped by their age or their geography or family expectations.
⟶ Trapped by their own mind or body.
Here is what happens to most of us (I have been there, too!) when we feel trapped: you wait for someone or something to RELEASE you, to set you free...
… to open the gates
… to present you with more hours in the day
… to lift your responsibilities off your shoulders
… to infuse you with courage or the right words
… to assure you that you are capable and wonderful and worthy
… to convince you that taking care of yourself, indeed, cannot wait
But what if nobody comes?
Not because you are not loved, but because everyone else is trying their best to stay afloat, too.
What if one milestone will simply be replaced with another one and another one….?
What if I told you that you hold the keys to your trap in your own hands? That you are the only one who can untrap YOU and deliberately choose a new, free-er, more joyful path?
I want to emphasize this:
I’ve had the great privilege to be a trusted companion to so many incredible, strong, smart, brilliant, stunning women who somehow ended up feeling trapped in their lives.
So, please know that this doesn’t happen because you are weak. It, in fact, most often happens because you were never shown how to deeply care without losing yourself in the process.
Here is what I suggest you do to begin this inquiry and start moving from feeling trapped to feeling free and joyful.
Journal on these 4 questions:
Just let yourself dump out your feelings: Why do you feel trapped? When did it start? When do you feel it the most?
What are you secretly hoping for that will safe you? What are you telling yourself will end this period of you feeling trapped?
When do you feel the most free? When do you feel the most spacious and joyful?
What big things would you shift if time and money weren’t an obstacle AND/OR if you weren’t scared what others would think of you? What tiny elements can you shift right now that will give you the opportunity to poke some holes in your trapped-ness and experience moments of space and joy?
Be gentle with yourself in this inquiry.
Untrapping yourself doesn’t happen over night. It’s a process… a very worthwhile one ;)
If you are feeling inspired to take the reins into your hands, to get out of your trap, to see the light and feel more joy, then I want to invite you to join me inside of Easy Joy.
Easy Joy is my personal joy project 😊: a simple 28- day challenge to show you how to pull joy back into the center of your life and take care of YOU in a new way.
Each day you’ll get a unique mini action step that will direct your focus and attention to all the joy that is accessible to you no matter how busy you are.
In my experience, focusing on YOUR JOY is the best way to gain clarity, energy and optimism, which are all key to untrap yourself and feel more expansive, expressed and spacious.
Find all the details and join us here.
Plus, if you join by Monday 9/5 you can get a 20% off gift to celebrate the launch of Easy Joy (enter code LABORDAY20 at checkout).
XO
Caroline
