Are you a sponge, too?

I left the class feeling drained and stressed. 🙁

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But…intellectually, my brain was feeling pretty satisfied.

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Weird. 🤔

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What was happening here? 

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I thought back.

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🌱 The teacher/CEO was engaging – she was enthusiastic and really knew her stuff. 

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Ok…good! ✅

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🌱 The topic – how to scale your business – was important to me. 

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Good again. ✅

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🌱 I was picking up some good insights and tips about creating programs.

 

Just want I wanted. ✅

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What else?

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The class was on Zoom. 

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And there were a lot of people on there. 

 

A LOT of people were using the chat.

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And from what I could tell, a large percentage of the people were also learning and having big A-HA moments. 

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Ok…….Great! ✅

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So, what was up?

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Why was I feeling overwhelmed? 🤔

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And then I remembered.

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I’m a sponge.

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I soak up the energy in the room…or on Zoom.

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A-ha!

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There were a lot of participants in the class and in the chat who wanted to build a biz so they could leave their corporate jobs.

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They were unhappy in their jobs and really wanted out.

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(I’ve been there! I TOTALLY get it.)

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And I could tell from the chat that some were feeling overwhelmed.

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They were realizing all they would need to do to create a brand new sustainable business so they could escape the corporate world.

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And they weren’t feeling equipped to do it. YET.

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And that’s totally ok.

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The class was giving them clarity. Awesome!

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And it was bringing up big feelings, which is, again, totally ok.

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There were also some shenanigans going on in the chat. 

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One guy was marketing his own services.

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This was distracting and annoying.

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Another guy was being really critical of the experience. 😠

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(LOVED it when the teacher called him out.)

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So, yeah. There was a lot going on in that chat – emotionally and energetically.

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And I had been marinating in it for over an hour.

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I needed to sort out what my actual feelings were…and which feelings I had taken on.

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This is what I did:

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I took a breath and said to myself, “I release any feelings that are not mine.”

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I started feeling lighter.

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And eventually, I was able to discern what was going on with me.

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Whew! Relief.

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There are some cool things about being a sponge. 

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You pick up on dynamics in the room – on the things that are happening beneath the surface, unsaid.

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If you’re not aware of what is happening, you can drown in other people’s emotions and energy. 

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That’s what was happening to me as I absorbed the chat. I was taking on other people’s stuff.

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This is no one’s fault.

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I just need to remember – and take a few simple steps.

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In case you’re a sponge like me, here’s what I do (when I remember!):

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1. Before I go into group settings (or social media)  I picture a protective bubble around me. 

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This bubble is not a wall. I’m still open, friendly, and I do really want to connect. I have a cute bubble around me, giving me an energy boundary.

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2. When I leave group settings (and social media), I get quiet and say “I release any feelings that are not mine.”

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Are you a sponge, too? 

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Let's plan a time for us to chat!