Beating Cancer in Heels: The power of allowing yourself to shine

We are all given unique characteristics that make us who we are. It might take us a while to figure out what they are and they may change as life happens but we all have something that makes us stand out.

Having the guts to allow yourself to let who you are shine isn’t easy for some and for others it is. Why that is differs from person to person and if I were to give you an answer as to why, I would be called a therapist and not a Life Coach. See the difference? This article is to give you insight on how to let yourself truly SHINE!

Last week I had to give my maid of honor speech, and right after my speech, I prepared a toast in which I rapped. Yes, I am a rapper at heart but I don’t have the talent to back it up, which for me makes it so much more enjoyable. I had been working on my speech and rap toast for a little bit and I was a little nervous about how I was going to pull it all off.

I have spoken on live television, given speeches and shared my personal story of fighting cancer over and over again but to me, giving this speech and toast made me more nervous. The challenge for me was trying not to shy away when it came time for the DJ to drop the Iggy Azalea beat for her song “Fancy.” (Oh, yes, I did!). That was the cue to let my rap skills out.

As the best man was giving his speech, I started to picture myself not doing my best and what that would feel like. I started reminding myself just how important this moment was and how much I wanted to be present in it. I wanted to do this for them, for myself and for the next generation of family members to come.

When the emcee called me up, I took a moment to reflect on my thoughts, centered myself and allowed myself to shine. I didn’t think about who would think I was being too silly or if I would fail. I thought about allowing the true me, the person the new married couple enjoyed, shine through.

Needless to say, I was complimented the whole night about how great my speech and toast were. The feeling of allowing myself truly to shine was euphoric. Reflecting back on that moment has now given me new insight that I will use to empower myself during times in which I feel nervous about letting myself shine.

We all have self-doubt but how we overcome it is truly one of our greatest and most unique gifts. It is how we truly shine and no two people will ever shine the same. So shine on, my Coachee!!

Now I ask you, how do you allow yourself to shine?

How does it feel when you picture you being your true self?

What thoughts help you center yourself?

Who or what makes you feel most comfortable when being your true self?

That’s it for today, Coachee! Stay tuned for more tips and stories from your Life Coach Marlena!

REMEMBER: Women between the ages of 20 and 40 diagnosed with cancer get six free coaching sessions through the nonprofit BeatingCancerInHeels.org.

If you are interested in being coached one on one or group coaching with friends, please contact me at Marlena@MarlenaLC.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Beating Cancer In Heels & Marlena Ortiz.