Feel Your Feelings

Perfectionism isn't just about wanting things to be perfect. At its core, it's a coping mechanism to avoid feeling bad. Every time we're about to share our work and we think "I'm not sure it's ready" - that's a negative feeling. And instead of feeling it, we distract ourselves. We perfect more. We wait. We do anything except feel the discomfort.

This is the hidden root of why nothing happens.

In this session, I share two powerful stories. The first: standing in a health food store in Kauai, feeling terrible, and discovering that when I stopped resisting the feeling and just allowed it to be there, it immediately began to shift. The second: lying desperately sick in India, in so much pain I couldn't move, until I finally stopped resisting and found a place of peace within the pain itself.

Here's the truth: We spend our lives avoiding negative feelings. We pick up our phones hundreds of times a day. We open tabs to check the news or watch videos the moment we feel anxious. We perfect endlessly rather than finishing because finishing means feeling the fear of judgment. We've been taught that if something feels bad, it must be bad. But that's not true.

When we're doing something new, meaningful, and different, it WILL bring up discomfort. That's not a sign to stop - that's your brain creating new neural pathways. Learning to ride a bike felt impossible until suddenly it clicked. This is the same.

The practice is simple but profound: When negative feelings arise, instead of distracting yourself, stop. Breathe. Put your hand on your heart. Feel whatever you're feeling without trying to change it. You are not the feeling - you are the witness watching the feeling. Just notice and breathe. Surrender it to something greater if that helps. Be curious about it like you're discovering a strange animal in the jungle.

When we stop resisting our feelings, half the problem of perfectionism disappears. The feeling is just a feeling. It's okay. You're okay. And then you can take imperfect action anyway.

Listen to this episode and let me know what hit you. Email me at [email protected] with your thoughts, breakthroughs, or questions. If you're an Awakened Academy student, join the discussion in our private Facebook group. Not a student yet? You're welcome to apply anytime at awakenedacademy.com.