Take Responsibility for How You Show Up

An Invitation

Believe it or not, you are a possibility model for those people around you.

You are impactful right where you are.

This is something that I struggled with for a long time and therefore in today’s post, I want to explore two things: 1) that you are inherently worthy and impactful, 2) that you need to take responsibility for how you show up.

You are inherently worthy.

I didn’t realize this for a very long time. Subsequently, I didn’t realize my own personal impact.

One thing that we often get stuck on as humans is the belief that we have to be perfect or get to a certain amount of success or achieve something to matter, be impactful, or make a difference.

The truth is that you do not have to achieve anything to make a difference. You don’t have to reach a certain level. You don’t have to do anything. You are impactful right where you are at!

The Water Drinking Challenge:

It took me a long time to realize that I was impactful and that my actions mattered. I used to write “I am an inspiration” over and over again as part of my daily journaling routine until finally I learned that I am impactful, right where I’m at, just as you are now.

This hit home for me during a water-drinking challenge. Yes, you read that correctly.

This particular challenge was to drink a gallon of water per day. I love challenges, I love competing and I love being healthy and therefore this was right up my alley.

💦In order to track my consumption I started carrying around this gallon jug of water. It was very conspicuous. You don’t normally see people carrying gallon jugs around. They’re massive! Therefore, people started coming up to me and asking me “Hey, what are you doing?”

I would explain to them,” I’m doing this gallon challenge because I want to drink more water. Water flushes our digestive systems and speeds up metabolism and most people don’t drink enough water…” And as I chatted with people I could see their wheels start to turn and I could tell they were thinking, “Maybe I should drink more water!”

At that precise moment, a light bulb went off in my head! 💡

I thought, “I am impacting these people?! What I do matters. Here I am minding my own business and I’m inspiring other people?!”

It was like someone opened the blinds in my brain and I saw the sunrise for the first time. “You mean it’s been there the whole time? It comes up every day?!” It was a very apparent moment for me like “Oh wow, my actions ACTUALLY have an impact on other people. What I do matters! I can and I do inspire others in everything that I do. I impact people simply in how I show up.”

➡️When we start to remember that we are influential, right where we are in our lives, it does a few things. Firstly, it helps our confidence. When we realize that our particular way of being (because we are all unique, individual and AWESOME humans), directly affects those around us, we act with more purpose and confidence. Suddenly we’re walking around a bit straighter, and a little more meaningfully and taking charge a little bit more.

You are responsible for your actions

This realization also helps us take responsibility for our actions. When we acknowledge that we are influential, we naturally take more responsibility for our actions because we understand the impact that we have. All of a sudden, we realize that people are looking to us and we better step it up! We strive to be better and do better. "I matter?! Well, then I better try a little harder." When we understand that we are important (we are), our level of leadership and responsibility rises. We start taking more ownership.

Because believe it or not you are responsible for how you show up in this world.

We are showing up all of the time. We show up when we drop our kids off at school. We show up for work every day. We show up when we bring the casserole no one likes to the potluck again. We can be grumpy or discontented or smiling and bright but we are ALWAYS showing up. It’s how we show up that matters.

I love a tangible tool.

I’d like to teach you the touchstone word method in order for you to start taking responsibility for how you show up in this world.

The Touchstone Words Method

When you show up, at your absolute best, feeling amazing and awesome and powerful, what do you bring into a room with you? Close your eyes and imagine for a moment, are you full of energy and joy? Are you powerful and taking up space? Are you bringing groundness and assurance? What are the qualities that you identify with most when you are showing up at your best?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE AND ACT IN THE WORLD? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO INSPIRE IN OTHERS?

Feel free to choose from this list:

Caring

Generous

Helpful

A Leader

Enthusiastic

Smart

Capable

Resilient

Grounded

Organized

Inspiring

Engaged

Bold

Confident

Healthy

Energetic

Joyful

Passionate

Present

Calm

Happy

Patient

Kind

Intelligent

Engaged

Self Assured

Adventurous

These are your touchstone words.

Words that simultaneously remind you of your power and invite you to show up as your best possible self. Once you’ve got those qualities, I want you to set a timer on your phone labeled with those three words. Set the timer to go off between 1-3 times per day. When the timer goes off, stop what you are doing and align to your touchstone words. Are you showing up as powerful and grounded? Are you showing up as confident? If not, invite yourself to take responsibility for your thoughts, and feelings and show up!

Interested in learning more ways to show up as your best self? My mastermind is now open for enrollment! Learn more here.