Hey,
I'm Coach Charlie.
Welcome.
I'm really glad you're here.
In this meditation,
We're going to explore how to gently strip away the layers of who you think you need to be,
So you can remember who you actually are.
The person beneath the performance is still there,
And they're ready to be found.
Alright,
Let's begin.
Start by taking a moment to settle in.
Sit comfortably with your back straight,
Your arms resting comfortably in your lap,
And when you're ready,
Close your eyes.
Let your breath find its natural rhythm.
Allow your body to relax.
Let's take a few deep breaths in and out.
I'll guide you how.
First,
You'll take a long deep breath in through the nose.
Hold for a count of three,
And then release through the mouth,
Exhaling all of that stale,
Built-up pressure and stress.
Let's do the first one now.
Breathe in through the nose.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
And release.
Take two more breaths on your own now.
Pit aside the demands of today behind you.
Gently let go of any stress,
Any tension you may be holding,
And with each breath you take,
Allow each pressure,
Each demand,
And all that you're carrying to simply fall off and disappear into the ether.
There is nowhere you need to be right now,
No work you need to do.
Just be here,
In this moment.
Today,
We're coming home to who you've always been.
Now,
Notice the leader sitting here.
Can you see yourself?
The way that you hold your shoulders,
Always at the ready,
The tension that arises from all of the thinking,
The pivoting,
Making decisions all day,
And there are many other roles that you play.
First,
Recognize yourself as a strategic thinker,
Your mind scanning three moves ahead,
Eyes always focused on the next horizon.
The team builder,
Carrying everyone's needs on your shoulders,
That familiar weight of being responsible for others.
The problem solver,
The one who has to have the answers.
Feel how your mind never fully rests.
Each of these roles serves you,
Each one has gotten you here,
But none of them is you.
Can you feel the weight,
The tension of your various identities that you play,
The constant performing?
Where does that tension land?
Where does it sit?
Maybe that tension sits in your shoulders,
Your chest,
An area of your back,
Your jaw.
Just notice,
Observe with no judgment.
Notice how much energy it takes to be on all the time,
To have it all figured out.
If you feel that exhaustion,
Well,
Do because it's real.
Give yourself the permission to stop performing right here,
Right now,
Just long enough to remember who you actually are beneath all of these roles that you play every day.
And what if you could do if you could sit these roles down for now?
Imagine placing that weight gently beside you.
I will wait here while you do that.
Now,
In this quiet space,
Notice what remains.
The you that's always been here,
Steady,
Whole,
Real.
Take some time now to feel what that's like.
Now imagine yourself standing at the edge of a quiet forest path.
The light is soft,
Filtering through the leaves above you.
The air is still,
Carrying the earthy scent of moist earth,
Moss,
And weathered bark from towering ancient trees.
You can hear the gentle rustle of leaves,
That distant call inviting you to be free.
Feel the forest floor beneath your feet.
It's solid.
It's rooted.
It's real.
As you begin to walk on this path,
Each step takes you further from who you think you need to be,
And closer to who you actually are.
With every footstep,
The weight of expectation seems to lift from your shoulders,
Left behind on the path you've just traveled.
Notice how your feet connect with the earth beneath.
Sometimes soft loom,
Sometimes fallen branches that give slightly under your weight.
The cool,
Clean air moves across your skin,
Carrying hints of pine and morning dew.
It's something untamed,
Honest.
As you walk on the path,
You pass memories of past roles,
Versions of you that once served a purpose.
Just acknowledge them,
Like passing travelers.
As you walk along this path,
You notice in the distance that there's someone waiting.
They are waving to you.
It's you,
Before the performance,
The one who chose this path because it once felt like possibility.
Who is that person?
What did they love before they learned that they were supposed to love?
Maybe they loved building things that mattered,
Or solving puzzles that felt impossible,
Or creating something from nothing.
Look at this person,
Which is yourself.
How do you move?
What's in your eyes?
Maybe there's a lightness you haven't felt in years.
It's okay if you don't recognize yourself right away.
It's because we learn to hide who we are so well that even we forget.
And that forgetting has been part of your survival in the workplace,
How you've climbed to where you are today.
But you're ready to remember,
So just listen.
You're still here,
Underneath it all.
And sometimes it takes a moment for that voice to trust it's safe to speak again.
Because this is about incorporating the success that you've achieved with who you truly are.
No one's asking you to give anything up,
But rather to expand.
To lead from your whole self,
Not just the parts that perform well.
Picture yourself now,
Leading from this place.
What does it look like?
How do you stand when you're not trying to prove anything?
How do you speak when words come from truth instead of strategy?
Feel that grounding.
The leader you're becoming doesn't leave parts of yourself at home.
You bring your whole self into the room.
Your wisdom,
Your intuition,
Your humanity.
Feel what it's like to lead from this place.
Grounded.
Real.
Unshakeable.
You know,
You can be excellent and authentic.
Successful in yourself.
These aren't opposites.
They're feel for each other.
Feel that truth setting into your bones.
Take a moment to do this now.
Take a deep breath.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Feel yourself fully here.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
And remember this.
You are not your performance.
You are the one performing.
And that changes everything.
If this meditation stirred something in you,
Consider journaling on this question.
What part of myself have I been performing instead of embodying?
Before we leave,
Take one more deep breath.
Feel yourself here.
And when you're ready,
Slowly return to your day,
Carrying this knowing with you.
Hope you've enjoyed this meditation.
Thank you.
