Despite all my years leading workshops, I still get nervous just before I meet a new group.
And it’s even more nerve racking when I’m sharing stuff I’m passionate about with people I already know.
But I know that the more I show up honestly and fully, the more I enjoy it.
Trouble is you just learn over your lifetime to hide and build layers of nail varnish or body armour to protect yourself.
I’m learning to live a new way these days and I’m enjoying sharing new stuff with people, despite the occasional colliewobbles.
I’ve shared the metaphor of The Diamond, The Horse Sh*t, and the Nail Varnish, with many clients. I first heard the story, in Kimberley Hare’s book, The Heart of Thriving.
Kim uses this metaphor to describe our True Nature – who we really are when we allow ourselves to show up fully in the world.
Imagine there’s a diamond deep inside all of us, which we’re born with.
This represents our true nature.
At your core you are a diamond…flawless, beautiful, strong, and resilient. And not just you. Every human being.
Sometimes the diamond gets covered and surrounded with horse sh*t.
This is our strories, our baggage, our self-created limitations, our ‘not good enough’ or insecure stories.
And then because we’re terrified that others will see the manure, we surround it with a thick layer of nail varnish.
This is the mask that we show to the world.
The armour we put on every day to be acceptable, to conform, to not stand out, to look pretty.
Actually, even sharing our crap (guided by wisdom) with others may be healthier than covering it up.
This is the true strength of vulnerability.
Regardless, the diamond is always there, and if we begin to peel off the nail varnish, most of the manure falls away on its own.
There’s nothing to keep it there.
And then you can just shine!
Showing up as your diamond changes everything.
This is not to be confused with what some people mean by when they talk about authenticity.
You see if you believe you are your story, your experiences, your human frailties and flaws, your history, your personality, and your feelings, it follows that you’re being authentic when you share these with others.
But what if you weren’t any of those things? I want to get to who you are at your core, before and beyond anything that’s been created by thought: pure consciousness, pure awareness, pure love.
Love life, Angela xx
