That realisation hit me this week.
As more global information comes to the surface, I’ve been reflecting on the period between 2020 and 2022. It was a time when the world felt uncertain, decisions felt heavy, and many of us were navigating pressures we had never faced before.
During that time I made some choices that, if I’m being completely honest, didn’t fully align with my intuition.
At the time there were practical considerations. Work. Travel. Financial responsibilities. The realities of life.
So I did what many people do.
I pushed past that quiet inner voice and made the decision that felt easiest in the moment.
Fast forward to this week.
I found myself feeling frustrated when I thought about that period. At first I believed I was angry at the situation or being ‘forced’ to do something or the people involved.
But when I really sat with the feeling, something deeper became clear.
I wasn’t angry at them.
I was angry at myself for ignoring my own intuition.
That moment of awareness was incredibly humbling.
Because this is something I see all the time in the work I do with people.
We often believe someone else has triggered our anger, frustration or resentment.
But when we look closely, the emotion is often pointing to a moment where we abandoned ourselves.
A moment where we didn’t speak up.
A moment where we overrode our instincts.
A moment where we could have ‘chosen’ differently.
A moment where we chose pressure or approval instead of alignment.
And the powerful thing about recognising this is that it puts the power back in our hands.
Not through blame.
But through self-awareness.
Every time we notice these patterns, we strengthen something incredibly important.
Self-trust.
That quiet voice inside us is there for a reason.
And learning to listen to it more consistently might be one of the most important skills we can develop in both life and leadership.
With Love,
Emma
