Last week I was interviewed for a promotional video for an organisation I work with. I was explaining how equine facilitated coaching can support people who have experienced trauma or are suffering from anxiety or depression (amongst other things – contact me if you’d like to know more).

I don’t do a lot of speaking-to-camera work so it’s not something I’m particularly comfortable with.

I’m generally a “think-to-speak” introvert. There’s normally a hell of a lot of words flying around in my head before they come out of my mouth. And some never actually will come out, as I will self-filter.

Sometimes I’ll feel like I’ve got so much to say but I don’t know how to say it which, of course, is a limiting belief.

Somewhere along the line I learnt I’m not very good at articulating myself, and when we’ve got a belief about ourselves, whether it’s an expansive or a limiting belief, we will unconsciously gather evidence to back it up.

As Henry Ford said “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

I often describe the feeling of having so much I want to say but not knowing how to say it as being in a theatre with the fire alarm going off, and I’m sitting in the seat furthest away from the fire exit.

I know that if everyone panics and tries to squeeze themselves through the fire exit at once, it’s going to be chaotic. But I know if we are grounded and calm and walk in an orderly fashion towards the exit, we will all get out safely.

And maybe some don’t get out but maybe that’s because they didn’t really need to. That’s where the metaphor ends though as that’s a bit of a brutal demise!

When I’ve done presentations in the past I’ve often practised and rehearsed them so much, I feel like I’m reading a script when I’m doing the presentation; a fear-based, polished script that had to sound perfect because, of course, I’m not good at articulating myself and, therefore, needed a coping strategy. A coping strategy that embedded that limiting belief, as it turned out.

But recently I’ve been playing with trusting myself and my intuition. Trusting that I know my subject and the right thing will come out of my mouth if I’m grounded and present and speaking from the heart.

So as I was being interviewed this week, I witnessed myself listening to the questions I was being asked and walking in an orderly fashion towards the fire exit.

I witnessed myself feeling completely in the moment and talking about a subject I’m passionate about.

And then the most amazing thing happened. The lady interviewing me suddenly stopped and smiled and said “wow, you’re really articulate”.

I honestly could have cried on the spot as I realised for the first time in my life I actually believed it.

Never under-estimate the power of authentic, positive feedback.

With love Sarah xx