Space to Feel: How to Survive a Lull
Sunday, I was in a lull so low I can only call it existential. It was particularly jarring in the heat of New York City summer, where collective urgency buzzes. I tried walking, thinking, iced-coffeeing my way through it. Resources ran dry. I reached out, calling on our founder, Brigid Moynahan (my mom), for an E.R. coaching session (lucky me).
Within minutes of her guided inquiry into my particular strain of numb, I identified a feeling. Alas, I was alive. The thing about this feeling is, it’s a feeling I very rarely feel. I fear feeling it. I learned early on, as a kid prone to temper tantrums, that feeling it would make me a monster no one would stand being around. If I hadn't been so done being dull, I might have continued to suppress it. The feeling was, you guessed it, anger. A red hot ball of it in my solar plexus.
Miraculously, within seconds of feeling it, it was no longer present. In its place: a sensation of energy moving throughout my entire body. I can only describe it as power. Better than any $7 iced-double-shot-whatever. My voice deepened. This deeper voice said, “I don't have to worry that I won’t be strong, because I am strong.”
This verbal affirmation fortified my trust in myself (my definition of confidence) through a time of transition when I really needed it. I shifted from existential lull to excited for life in a matter of minutes by feeling a feeling I’d been afraid to feel.
Emotions are our internal guidance system, pointing us towards what’s right for us. When we go numb, we get lost. No temporary feeling is worse than losing touch with ourselves and our direction.
How does this relate to Next Level Vision? As we walk through this at turns chaotic, scary, maddening time, you might feel nothing. Numb. An Existential lull. If you find yourself lost, ask yourself: “What feeling might I need to feel?” Sadness? Fear? Rage? Give yourself a space to feel it. By doing so, you too might release it into the power and confidence you need to take action.
The beauty of this community is that we don’t have to do this work alone. We get to reach out. Email us to book a session with one of our phenomenal coaches.
About Brigid: Since stepping back from the day-to-day of running NLL (hear her on the podcast discussing this transition), Brigid’s remained passionate about coaching. She’s now incorporating her nearly 40 year experience as an executive coach with Focusing Therapy (the modality that supported me above). Contact her to learn more.
Join us for Next Level Vision workshop, July 19th 2024
Strategic vision for connected leaders.
Old-paradigm leadership vision is top-down. Next Level vision's connected—emerging from the whole. Discover how to cultivate holistic vision, engage passionate players, and develop agility to evolve with our fast changing world. With Lucia Brizzi.
Friday, July 19th, 2024, 12-2pm ET, Zoom or on-demand replay
Sign Up
Lead for a Beautiful Future with NLL
Coaching: Connected Leadership or Align Whole-Life Coaching
Community: Success Circles Membership (Applications open, launching Sept. '24)
Mentorship: Interested in becoming an NLL certified coach? Inquire about our new one-on-one mentorship