Simply Authentic...Your Soul Voice is Calling. When It's Hard to Say Something

When It’s Hard to Say Something Do certain situations make you feel tongue-tied, struggling to find the words (or perhaps more importantly, the courage) to say what you want to express? I had one such situation just today. I’ve taken classes in non-violent, compassionate communication. I was trained and certified in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and as a mediator. I’m a certified Transformational Voice® teacher. I often speak in front of an audience, as a class facilitator and love walking out on stage in character to a packed house. All the same…guess, just guess…where I had a really hard time speaking up today? On the playground. Allow me to explain. My near-daily walks often take me to and from West Waluga Park. It’s a lovely, well-kept park with green grass (wonderful for Frisbee-throwing) inside a sweet walking path, surrounded by trees, with lots of lovely people walking their dogs. There’s an area with covered picnic tables for gatherings, clean restroom facilities, a playground with toys in the sand for young children and…most recently…a “Fit Spot” outdoor gym for adults. I have been “meaning” (you know how that goes) to write the city of Lake Oswego (http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/) in thanks for the Fit Spot addition to the park for over a year. The Fit Spot outdoor gym is meant for adults, according to the instructions on the equipment. But you wouldn’t know that to walk by. A lot of people either don’t read, or ignore, the signs saying you must be 14 years of age or older to use the equipment. (My guess is some of the kids using the equipment actually don’t know how to read yet.) A few parents read the signs and tell their children they can’t use the equipment, that the gym is for adults. Some watch their kids try different equipment, advise what they think might hurt them and encourage them to move onto a different one. Others watch, advise, and instruct their children to move out of the way if an adult is working out. (Which I sincerely appreciate.) Many are looking at a phone or tablet or otherwise not engaged in what their children are doing. So the kids go from one piece of equipment to the next, often handling the equipment roughly, allowing weights that should be slowly let down to drop and clang. (Which I sincerely don’t appreciate.) Today, I was able to get most of my work-out in, with just one last machine to go. It swings from side to side rather than front to back, which is great for your oblique muscles if you work it right, but it’s also just fun for young girls to swing on, facing each other for easy talk. Today, I couldn’t help but hear some of their conversation as I was working my quads nearby, hoping they would leave the swings so I could get in another 30 reps before I left the park. They were probably 10 and 12. The 10-year-old was explaining how difficult it is to make friends when you’re on base in Italy as once you’re off base, most of the kids speak Italian. She spoke profusely and elegantly. The 12-year-old listened intently as the younger girl spoke. I had a fast-forward flash of a successful public speaker and an equally successful therapist a decade or two from now. They were still swinging after I’d done my 24 quad reps. I may have left the park without saying a word if it hadn’t come to me this was my next writing topic. I took a deep breath, walked over feeling ridiculously uncomfortable, and asked “May I step in for 30 reps here, before I finish my work-up, and go back home to work?” (I noticed I said “work-up” instead of “work-out” and that I said “home” first, before saying “work.”) The future public speaker stepped down off the swing while saying, “Of course!”, while the future therapist looked at me quizzically and stepped down more reluctantly, as I said “thank you.” Then they went to the ab benches to lay down and talk/listen some more, I got in my 30 oblique reps and turned to say “thanks” again. But they were totally engaged with each other and didn’t even see me…so I walked back home to work. When is it hard for you to say something which needs to be said, and how do you work through it? Let us know on the blog. And remember the Five Simple Steps to Speaking Your Truth.  (See them here: https://laurahandke.com/simply-authentic-your-soul-voice-is-calling-five-simple-steps-to-speaking-your-truth-part-1/ and https://laurahandke.com/simply-authentic-your-soul-voice-is-calling-five-simple-steps-to-speaking-your-truth-part-2/). Finally, thank you, City of Lake Oswego! If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends! Authentically Yours, Laura