ARE YOU HIDING FROM YOUR TRUTH?

It’s o.k. I realize that I began participating in the Hide & Seek game in my early 20s. I became President of the Hide & Seek club in my 40s. Let me say this, the internal pain that I felt during my Hide & Seek game was immense yet, I most often ignored the pain and continued hiding.

The Club (Hide & Seek Club) is an ever-expanding club with millions of members. In fact, we become so accomplished at hiding our truth, hiding whom we are that it doesn’t take long before we are unable to recognize ourselves.

WHAT DO WE HIDE?

-Our Fears-
When is the last time you admitted that you were fearful? You may be afraid of your current financial challenges. You may be fearful about a meeting you have with your boss. You may be afraid to attend a dinner party because you don’t feel you fit in. Ahhhh, you simply may be afraid that you have lost yourself. Fear is all around us and is a natural part of our human makeup. Owning your feelings is a critical step to come out of hiding.

-Our Passions-
Yes, we hide our passions and these passions are what possess the ability to bring us back to ourselves. Our passions are the feelings or objects that we would want with us on a deserted island. You’ll need to do some work to uncover these passions because you’ve buried them in an effort to fit in. You see, when we are hiding and separated from ourselves, we typically take on the persona of what others want us to be. Much like a chameleon, we change for the sake of pleasing others. In becoming the well-loved chameleon, we left our passions behind.

-Feelings of Inadequacy-
Haven’t we all felt inadequate and found temporary satisfaction from outside answers. I know that I spent many years splurging to cover up my feelings of inadequacy. I’d receive a personal yet very temporary high from wearing the latest shoes or a top designer handbag. So wrong on so many levels. By the simple act of not being with your feeling of inadequacy, you’ll move further away from yourself. Each step away from yourself increases your feeling of inadequacy. And so the Hide & Seek Club increases its membership daily.

5 TIPS TO STOP HIDING

-Shhhhh-
It’s time for you to be quiet and listen. Find a quiet place where you can sit uninterrupted. This is your time and after all, 10 minutes in a 24-hour day is a relatively small amount of time, right? For some this is meditation but for others, this is quiet time. In either case, your 10 minutes is for you to slow the body and quiet the mind. Watch your breath. Breathe in peace and breath out anxiety. Breathe in authenticity and breathe out hiding. Breathe in being present and breathe out projecting the future. Just breathe.

-Ask-
It’s time to discover your passion, purpose and your essence. Start by simply asking. As you lay in bed, close your eyes and simply ask to be shown your passion, purpose and essence in your resting period. Continue asking this same question each evening. In the morning, take a few seconds to set your daily intention, such as: Today, I intend to seek my passion, purpose and essence and live fully. The simple act of asking along with your 10 minutes of Shhhhh time allows the answers to unfold.

-Declare Your Truth-
This may sound simple, but if you’re a practiced hider declaring your truth can be down right terrifying. Begin by declaring your truth to yourself. Write your passions, purpose and essence on paper. Open your mouth and move your lips stating your passion, purpose and essence to yourself. Ask yourself what scares you about today? Writing and speaking your fear is your truth. Being clear on your truth is taking charge of your life and allows you to occupy the space in this world that was intended for you. Begin to show your true self to others. There is immense power in words so chose your words carefully and state them with sincere conviction. Believe what you say.

-Own your Limiting Beliefs-
These can really get us into some trouble so it’s time to own your limiting beliefs in order to move beyond them. Along the path of life, we’ve made a deal-a pact with ourselves and have come to believe we have limitations. These limitations are most often untruths. These limitations impact our ability to thrive and feel alive. Limiting beliefs take on varying forms but in all instances stop us from being who we fully are. Perhaps these are some of your limiting beliefs:
• There is only so much money that I can earn in my career.
• Money is the root of all evil so I’d rather be middle class.
• Things have been going too good for me; I’m due for something negative.
• Women sound bitchy when they speak up, so I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.
• I don’t have a college degree; therefore I am less then.
• All men end up cheating on their wives’, therefore, I’m better off alone.
• I am flawed; therefore I don’t deserve happiness and bliss.

An effective tool is to retrain your thought pattern by replacing each limiting belief with a positive and true statement. For example: There is only so much money that I can earn in my career is replaced by: The money supply is endless, we are printing more US Currency then ever before and I am a huge circulator of money with unending earning potential.

-Community-
Take a look around you. What you will most likely find is a group of like-minded friends, co-workers and family who are also card-carrying members of the Hide & Seek Club. We typically seek those who will support our mission. It’s now time to reconsider your community. By simply beginning to speak your truth and show up in the world, you will naturally attract like-minded people. By simply moving out of your limiting beliefs, those around you will notice the shift and perhaps move with you. Never the less, I ask you to be open to bringing in new friendships, new business partners, etc. that will support the REAL you. Surround yourself with a community who like you are no longer hiding and you'll experience energy shifts propelling you.

EASY DOES IT

Coming out of hiding and being present with your life, showing up in the world takes time. Be gentle with yourself. For me personally, I had been playing the Hide & Seek game for 25 yrs and those years are not undone in a few days. It’s a piece at a time and many ah-ha moments along the way. Be kind, be gracious and be gentle with you. This is an amazing journey, ahhhhh.

Author's Bio: 

Debbie Ingle, Personal Dream Coach, participates in a true partnership with her clients to help find their passion, purpose and zest for life. Moving from the side-line of their life to a place of full engagement and loving the shifts along the way. Together we discover extraordinary results by creating clarity and moving the client into effective action. Igniting passion, finding your purpose and living your dream life is within reach.

After 25 years in Corporate American, I knew that I had lost myself and had to find an escape. No one would have guessed by looking at me. An SVP title, hundreds of employees reporting to me, income in the high 6 figures. I had achieved it all, or so it appeared. Sitting on my closet floor, tears pouring down my cheeks, I vowed that this would be my last sales conference, my last time on a stage reciting a presentation on a subject that I had absolutely no connection to. What I didn't know is how lost I really was. What I didn't know was how sad I really was. What I didn't know was that life could be simply amazing.

What I now know is that I can help others find their passion, find their purpose, find themselves. I know for sure that I am here to provide women a soft place to launch their new life.