The Power of the Pause.
We are on holiday in South Carolina and trying to get out to the tennis court most mornings.
I suspect you didn’t know that in my youth, I was kind of a badass in that sport. Ranked ‘n all.
These days, I get maybe three games in a year, so to say I’m “rusty” is kind. But/and… just the other morning, I was reminded how powerful my serve really is. Knocks my husband off his feet when he dares come in too close and underestimates my power (if you smell the whiff of foreshadowing, you’re not wrong). And also? I don’t knock him off his feet like THIS, but still… too close, Dude.
There are two things required for a brilliant serve in tennis.
A solid handle on the racket face orientation and the toss.
“Cut the cake, sweep the floor, scratch your back, swat the fly.”
Those are the tennis racket orientations needed for a basic tennis serve I was taught when I was about five years old. And every time I go to serve, I chant it in my head.
So clearly, I have the racket orientation down pat with all that cake, rug and fly attention.
But the toss, friends. The Toss.
I generally rush it. I toss too low so my reach is shortened and the ball streaks into the net. Or I toss too far out in front of me and need to chase it and don’t have control of where it ends up. Or I toss it too far behind that has me hitting the ball way at the top of the racket and the ball ends up long.
I don’t have the stats on it, but most of my serving faults can be attributed to rushing the toss.
(Foreshadowing requited. Can you feel the metaphor coming on?)
Most of my FAULTS can be attributed to rushing.
Period.
MOST OF MY FAULTS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO RUSHING.
You too?
Rushing to toss.
Rushing to say yes.
Rushing to accept.
Rushing to say more words.
Rushing to overexplain.
Rushing to launch.
Rushing to rush.
So why do I rush?
Because I have so much else to do?
I am worried about wasting others’ time?
I don’t want to hold court for too long?
I am concerned I won’t be seen as powerful or decisive if I don’t act immediately?
Nah.
None of that holds water.
Most powerful interview you’ve ever heard...she paused to collect her thoughts, right?
Yeah. She did.
Lie #6 of the Imposter Complex implores us to say too much about our experience: “You must tell EVERYONE about this experience.”
I invite you to pause and ask: “Why am I sharing the fact that I feel I don’t belong. Am I trying to bridge connection, or curry favour?”
Pausing is a power move.
And you are worth the wait.
Pause.
Let the ball drop. And toss it again.
Get it as right for YOU as you would like.
Then serve that ball down the line with all of your power and ace them off their feet.
Surprise yourself.
This most recent episode of the Ready Enough Podcast was outstanding. My friend Vanessa Mentor came THROUGH with the truth.
Vanessa is a freedom catalyst/ Life Coach and she helps women take better care of themselves and live a life that feels right for them. But living in Haiti, a place where many basic needs are being unmet by most around her and self-actualization seems beyond frivolous, Vanessa has a unique perspective to share about the tension of belonging, impact, and privilege.
This time with my family has been sublime. This month of July has seen me in France, Spain, Quebec, Boulder and now South Carolina, The fact that I get to do this...travel for work AND play is something I am celebrating heartily.
My friend and content strategist, Lacy Boggs, is opening the doors to her Content Intelligence Academy program LIVE for the first time in about three years.
I started working with Lacy a couple of years ago to try to get a handle on alllllllll the content I create — trying to wrap my head around what kinds of things should be articles, versus podcasts, versus a Friday Finale…
And she and her system have helped me find much needed clarity to help me focus my efforts around creating content.
Because, while I love to write and am called to share my aha moments and downloads from the universe with you — I’m not always clear on how to use those thoughts to move my business forward.
Maybe that sounds like you because:
That’s the missing link between just blogging and truly “content marketing” — and I know that Lacy’s program can help you bridge the gap.
In this program, she’s sharing the same strategies and techniques Lacy uses with her 1:1 clients including me, our friend Tara McMullin, Melanie Duncan, Leonie Dawson and many more.
And they’re the same tips, tricks, and “aha” moments that have helped hundreds of entrepreneurs who have already trusted Lacy enough to go through Content Intelligence Academy — and achieve fabulous results.
Right now, you have the opportunity to access all this strategy goodness for yourself to turn your content marketing into the powerful, low-cost lever that can skyrocket your business to greater success...
help you hit that business goal you’ve been daydreaming about and doodling on the back of your notebook (you know the one)...
and finally feel like you have a handle on how to use your content to actually move your business forward!
CHECK IT OUT here, and let me know if you’ve got questions!!!
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.