The Question Only I Could Answer

By Lauren Butler

If you’ve ever clicked “add to cart,” hesitated, questioned yourself, and closed the tab over something as small as a sweater, then imagine being stuck in that same limbo while waiting for permission to make your dreams come true.

There was a woman I’ve been following online for years. She’s authentic, knowledgeable, and a great teacher. I previously did a workshop with her - the amount of education I received was so empowering - I was now deeply interested in joining her year-long course. But when I considered leaping, it felt scary, impossible, like it was an opportunity meant for anyone but me. I kept finding myself looking for outside permission, to no avail. So I’d wait a few hours, open the checkout page, add to cart, then close it, just to do it again two hours later.

I realized I wasn’t afraid of checking out my ”cart,” I was afraid of claiming my own authority. Because that meant investing in myself, it wasn’t about committing to or fearing rejection from the program; it was about permitting myself to move forward in the direction I was choosing.

It was late on a Tuesday night as I went through the checkout process and finalized the payment. The moment I got the “Congratulations, you’re in!” email, I felt my body relax, and the tension in my jaw disappear. I went to sleep with ease and woke with a newfound confidence.

Because of that one decision to trust my intuition and tune into a question only I could answer, I’ve grown exponentially as a woman and a leader! As I continue to heal my nervous system and tune into my body, I can go deeper into self-trust, authenticity, and visibility. Each time I tune into my knowing, I make decisions that honor who I am, and I am able offer more compassion and light to those around me.

Being a bold leader means knowing what I believe in, having a clear vision, and leading with integrity and authenticity. The capacity to see my own light and shadows is a gift. What sets a manager apart from a true leader? It is my ability to see where I have failed, and to learn, grow, and show up more fiercely for myself and my team because of it.

As humans, we’re all bound to have failures, especially as leaders. I find the best leaders are resilient and learn from their own mistakes as well as the mistakes of others. The key to building resilience, coming back from failure, reclaiming my power, and reclaiming my confidence, is in having the tools and resources to be aware. Aware of the failure, setback, mistakes, but also to rewire the nervous system to create safety in the body, even when challenges arise. I use body movement in times of stress to release the emotions that are in my body. After the stressful event has passed and the emotions are metabolized, I move into an integration practice to learn from the challenge and create an opportunity for growth.

I love to use meditation, automatic writing, and self-care to reconnect to my own power and integrate these growth opportunities. My ability to be a resilient, confident leader gives me an awareness of the strengths and the areas of growth in both my team members and myself. This ability allows me to guide and be open to feedback without judgment to best support my team and my organization.

When we learn from our failures, we lead from our hearts, and we show up as our unique, authentic selves, we brighten everything we touch.

Connect With Lauren

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