When you’re riding the roller coaster of life, there are inevitable twists and turns. Riding those bends can often feel stressful, anxious, and sometimes even empty. As I have been doing most mornings, I woke up today and practiced my daily routine of reading a passage from Mark Nepo’s book, The Book of Awakening. The passage landed deeply in the midst of the twists and turns life has recently thrown my way as I help to care for ill and aging parents. I’m exhausted. And I’ve come to realize I’ve slipped back into my old habits.

I’m not taking my own ‘Soulbbatical medicine’ in the midst of a family crisis.

It’s critical to take the time to pause and check-in with ourselves, even more so in times of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. It’s time for us to rebel for radical self-commitment.

In this episode, I discuss the importance of rebelling FOR self-commitment, what it means, and how it’s different from (and bigger than) self-care. In fact, it’s an umbrella concept that encompasses self-care and invites us to take that commitment a few steps deeper in our lives. I share an excerpt from Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening and discuss what it made me realize about how I’ve been taking care of myself (or not) amidst a recent family crisis. I underscore the essence of evaluating the things that truly matter to us and describe the art of giving the “Gracious No.” I also enumerate some simple, powerful tools for how we can practice and think about radical self-commitment and highlight how extraordinary achievements are really just a series of tiny steps.

“This idea of radical self-commitment is bigger than self-care. It is an awareness of what we need in any given moment.”- Shelley Paxton

This week on Rebel Souls:

• The importance of taking the time to be refreshed and renewed
• What our “surge capacity” is and how it helps us cope with stressful situations
• The good and the bad of working from home
• Rebelling FOR radical self-commitment
• The difference between self-care and radical self-commitment
• Why you need to think about the values you live for
• Why it’s important to commit to our boundaries
• Thinking about your “10s” (Mark Silverman’s concept from the book Only 10s 2.0) and why it’s essential to spend our time and energy on things that matter the most
• What it means to have courageous conversations and how to offer the “gracious no”
• Why we should check-in on ourselves more than once a day
• What it looks like to heighten our own awareness of how we’re feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally – and what we need in support of those feelings
• The next important step to take after checking-in on ourselves
• The three ‘P’ tool to practicing radical self-commitment
• The power of giving yourself permission to slow down, breathe, and check-in
• The impact of rebelling for radical self-commitment

Resources Mentioned:

• Your ‘Surge Capacity’ is Depleted - It’s Why You Feel Awful by Tara Haelle on Medium
• The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo

Related Content:

• Addison Brasil Rebelling FOR Mental Health
• Rebelling FOR The Big Rocks
• Book: Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life
• Join us every Friday at 8am PT / 10am CT for our weekly Clubhouse chat - Soul Success: Your Truth is Your Superpower - Hosted by Christina Glickman and Shelley Paxton

Liberate Your Soul & Join the Rebelution

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Rebel Souls with your host, Shelley Paxton, the podcast dedicated to helping leaders reject the status quo, liberate their soul, and become a lifelong rebel. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes across social media. And for more great content and information, visit our website and grab your copy of Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life.