You know when you're getting ready for work and you look in the mirror and you think, "I don't even recognise myself anymore". Or when you're lying in bed at 2am and there's this feeling in your chest that something's missing, but you have no idea what it is… When something is just off in the story you’re living? And then you immediately tell yourself to, "stop being dramatic. You have such a good life. Other people have it worse."
That feeling? Those thoughts… You're not being dramatic or ridiculous. And you're not being ungrateful. They’re good insight and they’re really just something in you. A message bubbling up from inside that something in your life is trying to tell you something. The big thing to know though is that when we keep shutting it down, it just comes back louder.
So instead of us continuously asking ourselves, "what's wrong with me?" Let's shift it to asking, "what's this feeling trying to tell me?" We don't have to fix the feeling or the thoughts. In fact, we don't even have to know what they are yet. But we have to stop dismissing our inner conversations.
When you get that uncomfortable feeling in your chest, or the restlessness, even that feeling of disconnection. These aren't random. They're your body actually trying to get your attention. It's like an internal alarm system that goes off when something in your life isn't aligned with who you really are.
We all do it from time to time. Maybe you've been saying yes to things that don't feel right. Or perhaps you've been living according to what everyone else expects instead of what you actually want. Your body picks up on this disconnect way before your mind can put words to it.
My invitation to you here isn't to panic or to immediately change everything. Instead, I want to invite you to support yourself by simply noticing the story you’re living. And to acknowledge that these feelings are real information. And they're trying to guide you somewhere. Because the beauty of it is, is that when you start listening to these feelings instead of pushing them away, you're actually reconnecting with your own inner wisdom.
[Add YouTube Video here -> When Something is off but you can’t explain it]
Sometimes that "off" feeling comes from living a life that looks good on paper but doesn't feel good in your heart. Most of us live our lives ticking all the boxes. You've ticked career, relationship – tick, lifestyle – yep. But somewhere along the way, you lost sight of what you actually wanted.
This situation happens to so many of us. We follow the path we thought we were supposed to follow. We make choices based on what seemed safe or what others told us was right. And then one day we wake up and think, how did I get here? Is this even what I want?
The relief is that you're allowed to question your own story. You're a grown up now who is allowed to look at your life and ask if it still fits who you are now. That doesn't make you ungrateful or flaky. It makes you honest. And being that honest with yourself is your first step toward creating a life that actually feels like yours.
The thing about uncomfortable feelings is that they don't disappear just because you ignore them. In fact, they usually get louder. Instead of just being uncomfortable they start showing up as anxiety, or exhaustion. And even as that background noise of being a constant sense that something's missing. Even when everything looks 'fine' from the outside.
Because we're so good at distracting ourselves… we stay busy. Scroll on socials or filling every moment so we don't have to sit with what we're actually feeling. But all that really does is delay the conversation the inner you is needing to have with yourself.
What if instead of running from that though, you realise you have the ability to create a kind space for yourself to listen to that inner you? Not to fix what it's saying or come up with some kind of solution to solve it immediately. But just to hear what it's trying to say. Because actually that feeling isn't the problem. It's just the messenger. And it's trying (sometimes desperately) to guide you back to yourself.
*So Now What… If you're reading this and thinking, “yes, that's exactly how I feel”, then I want you to know you're not alone. And also, that you're just ready for something different. You're ready to stop dismissing that inner you and start listening.
The first step isn't about having all the answers. It's actually about giving yourself permission to ask the questions. And to sit with the discomfort. Then to explore what your life is trying to tell you without judgment or pressure.
But you don't need to figure it all out today or have all the tips, tools and know the techniques. You can just start with paying attention and having empathy for yourself. But if you feel like you're really ready to listen to what your life is trying to tell you, to find clarity in your story and reconnect with what you actually need, then come check out That Life Unpacked with Mel. It's a space designed to help you make sense of the bigger picture and come home to yourself.
