What does it mean to live an unfiltered life? Today I’ll uncover the reason why you’re afraid that you’re going to be judged for doing so. I’ll also show you that living unfiltered really means living authentically. Are you ready for permission to take the filters OFF YOUR LIFE?
Today’s SACRED S.O.L. STORY comes from earlier in the week with my LIVE S.O.L. DATE SISTERHOOD. Each week I, along with a group of women from around the world (with our most recent S.O.L. DATE SISTER joining us from Australia,) come together to Sip On Life and Date Ourselves Well LIVE via Zoom Video Conferencing.
We openly share our hearts. We show up, speak up, step up, and stand up for what we believe, and step into the life we desire.
Sipping On Life has been a several year journey for me, and it continues. Thank God. As long as I’m alive, I’m going to sip on life. And I’d love to do it with you as well. I’m so grateful that you’re here.
Each week we have a S.O.L. DATE. We get together and talk. Although it’s not simply talking. We share what’s going on. We open up our hearts. And we sort of dissect it. We appreciate it, and ask questions.
That’s the BIG thing…the ASKING of questions.
So let’s go back a bit, because the past few days we’ve been talking about the heart. But really it’s been a HEART issue since the very beginning.
Specifically EPISODE 024: The 3 Keys To Access Your Heart and yesterday’s EPISODE 025: Living With Your Heart Wide Open. We’ve been talking about the heart.
The big thing that’s often missing, in a so-called SECRET STRATEGY into the heart, is ASKING QUESTIONS.
The other day I was asked how I’m able to access someone’s heart from the outside so quickly.
I responded, “If I can get someone to open her/his mouth, I’m in their heart.” Why? Because I know what their heart’s saying as they start speaking.
The greatest way to do that is by asking a question. That right there – if you get nothing else from today’s broadcast – is GI-NORMOUS. (Yep, that’s a made-up word.)
What questions are YOU asking in your life? What questions are you asking of yourself? Others? What questions are you asking your heart?
I asked one of my S.O.L. DATE SISTERS, “What would your life look like if you were living it UNFILTERED?”
As she was speaking, I picked up on the fact that she’s been holding back a lot. I find this across the board with the women I coach, as well as the men. However, it seems more prevalent in women. I see them NOT speaking up.
That’s why I’ve created an environment in my SISTERHOOD for women to speak up. To literally open her mouth and heart, and let it come out. Spew it out…seriously, I call it, “Naked. Unafraid. Unashamed. Unapologetically letting it all out.”
My S.O.L. DATE SISTER was putting a filter on herself for many reasons. (You know who I’m talking about, dear soul. I know you’re listening.) But it’s not only her. It’s women across the board.
What would your life look like if you were living unfiltered?
Her immediate response was, “That would be irresponsible, right?”
Although the look on her face was like…Ahhh…that would be awesome.
Perhaps like some of you may have felt yesterday when I spoke about living life with your heart wide open. Ah…
Living UNFILTERED is living WIDE OPEN. Without the lens being filtered.
We live in a world today that’s filtered. Social media. Everywhere. Everything has a filter. We think we have to say “it” a certain way, we have to get the perfect camera angle, or perfect lighting. We have to express ourselves in such a way as to create a certain response from those on the other end. Somehow we want “them” to think this…or we don’t want them to think “that.”
It gets very complicated. I like to call it, “COMPLEXICATED.” Complex and complicated. (Yep, another made-up word.)
Simply put it’s not a whole lot of fun!
Even though my S.O.L. DATE SISTER looked relieved, she responded, “But that would be irresponsible.”
When I ask YOU the question: What would your life look like UNFILTERED? What comes to mind for you?
In her case, she felt it would be irresponsible.
So I asked her if the most AUTHENTIC version of her would be “irresponsible?”
She responded quickly with a, “No.”
I agreed, because I know her, and she’s VERY responsible.
However YOU answer this question, take a look at your answer. And ask yourself, “When I’m being my MOST AUTHENTIC, am I being “THAT?”
Then I asked, “Why, if you were living your life UNFILTERED, would it be an irresponsible life?
She was a little surprised, because she admitted that she’d never thought of it this way before.
What we uncovered was this (I think this will really help you if you let it set in): Is it possible that there are parts of you that you’ve denied and set aside, or labeled as irresponsible, unloveable, or (fill in the blank?)
And now it sits in the dark, and you’re hiding it. Maybe you even feel a little ashamed of it. Like you don’t dare expose “that” because of how you’ve labeled it.
She had been doing this with a side of herself. Leaving her with the unconscious belief that she had to FILTER it.
Is it possible that living unfiltered really means living authentically?
I’ll give you another example. When you hear this phrase: Oh my goodness, they were so “wild.”
Instantly people think about the idea of “wild” being irresponsible, unethical, crazy sexually, or all these different judgements. But what if “wild” meant YOU being in your NATURAL STATE?
No different than a tiger that acts like a tiger in its natural, wild state because it’s a tiger.
A lion is a lion because its a lion.
What if your being wild and free was you simply being real? What if it was being authentic to who you are, and you didn’t have to be afraid of it?
Why? Because YOU in your authentic or UNFILTERED state is actually very responsible, ethical, lovable, etc…(fill in the blank?)
We create all these stories that tell us that we have to edit, hide, filter, or do all these other things. When the truth is we don’t. What if you could live in an UNFILTERED state, and that unfiltered state was someone who was absolutely authentic, genuine, real, and valuable?
My dear, YOU in your INAUTHENTIC state, are not showing your value. Do you get that?
Is it possible that you’ve been living, and believing, a story that says YOU in your AUTHENTIC state is NOT valuable? Or that you as your genuine self would be irresponsible? Or wild and crazy…and NOT in a good way?
I’d encourage you to think about this today. I’m extremely passionate about what I’m sharing with you here.
In our S.O.L. DATE we began to uncover some of these truths. That was a few days ago. Since then she’s seeing that things are changing for her, and she’s even healing physically.
What if YOU living in your UNFILTERED state is what’s required for YOU to live freely? Healthfully?
What would that look like for you?
We’ll continue this conversation in tomorrow’s broadcast…
For now, please grab your SACRED S.O.L. D.A.T.E. JOURNAL (Daily Action To Engage with yourself).
TODAY’S SACRED S.O.L. STEP:
Answer this question: What would your life look like if you were living UNFILTERED?
How would it look? How would if feel?
Write it down.
I believe this has the power to set you free.
It’s why so many women from all over the world are NOT speaking up. Because if you open up your mouth, you’re going to show yourself, right?
What if you feel that what you’re showing is “this”, “that”, or “the other?” And you think you’re going to be judged because of it?
The reason why you’re afraid you’re going to be judged is because YOU’VE been judging yourself. Is that possible?
I see it all the time.
I’d love to hear from you. What came up for you? What’s going on in your mind and heart as you begin to commit to living an UNFILTERED life. A life with flow and ease. Sipping On Life.
Yes, I’d love to hear from you. Please come on over to WomenSippingOnLife.com. Seriously.
I’ll look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.
Thank you. I appreciate you.
xo Dr. Shannon. Inspiring minds that want to grow and hearts that want to know, so you can love you, your life, and your life’s work well. ONE SIP AT A TIME.
A special thanks to the following souls for helping me launch our WOMEN SIPPING ON LIFE podcast…
Intro/Outro done by Uni V. SOL
Outro music by Jay Man: Mind Over Matter (www.ourmusicbox.com)
Podcast cover design and web site done by: Pablo Aguilar (www.webdesigncreator.com)
Podcast cover photo by Kate Montague of KM Captured (www.kmcaptured.com)