Screaming at the World Cup or What's waiting to be seen?

One joy that this summer brought to me was the Women's World Cup.

I've become a passionate follower of women's football and surprised my Swedish family with quite how loud and raucous that passion could be when I was watching England play (on an i-pad, desperately following the wi-fi signal in our family's summer cottage!).

As I walked down the pine-cone strewn track back to our (wifi-less!) cottage, it got me thinking about all of the aspects of myself, especially the parts of myself that I may keep hidden or tone down to be what people might expect of me. Perhaps, reading this, you too are surprised that someone who works with energy and deeply tunes into bodies in a way that's not easily explainable can also be a person who leaps up and screams (rather a lot!) at a penalty shoot-out?

So often, we limit ourselves to fit in. We may shave away at the whole gloriousness of ourselves, shroud it or disguise it, just to be accepted. We might decide that there is a certain image that we want to project out into the world that doesn’t allow for for our differences, eccentricities, passions or wonderings.

Of course, it’s understandable that we have different versions of ourselves for the different people or situations in our lives. We won’t behave the same, or share the same things with our family, colleagues, close friends or casual acquaintances. But as I walked the forest track, I wondered - are there parts of myself I'm yet to meet? Would it bring me and others joy if I did? What is there to be afraid of? A little bubble of joy shimmered up with in me as I thought it, a little shiver of anticipation. What else and who else could I be?

So, later, I sat in the deep foresty silence, on the ground in a patch of sunlight and I asked myself ‘Who am I not..yet?’ What would I dearly love to do, but I’m held back by fear or what others might think?

I invite you to ask these questions of yourself in a journal - with lightness. It’s not necessarily about enormous life-changes. It might even not be something that other people would even necessarily notice.

Notice - how do you feel when you ponder these questions?

You might feel afraid. You might feel like it’s stupid and not for you. You might feel sad, like it’s too late. (What if it’s not?) You might feel like it’s a waste of time. Can I suggest that you try anyway? That you allow it to feel fun, even. It’s only writing, only imagining, only playing. We do so little of that. It might be wonderful. It might remind you to release your inner child to imagine what she/he might be when they grow up.

Are you a poet, a wanderer, a magician or cook? Are you an ardent lover, a gardener, a musician, a story-teller? Are you at peace with your life and ready to let go of all the things that say you shouldn’t be?

What’s still within you that wants to see the light?

I’d love to know.