The Stories We Tell Ourselves

This week’s posts have been circling around confidence, but I keep coming back to this question:

Is it really a lack of confidence that stops us…or is it our ability to talk ourselves out of things before we even try?

Last weekend reminded me why showing up matters.

For three years, I’ve been invited to a local neighbour’s supper evening and each year followed the same format: good food, new faces… and reading something aloud that you’d brought with you.

Year One: Panic

The first year, I went along happily, not knowing what to expect, I arrived to a room full of people I didn’t know. Then the reading was mentioned and I had instant inner panic.

I hated reading out loud, nd suddenly, there I was, face-to-face with an old fear I thought I’d left behind.

My first reaction?“I’m really sorry, I won’t be doing that.”But then I paused and sat with the discomfort and I thought: Okay… just try.

I picked something short from the host’s bookcase. I’ve no idea what I read, it was a complete blur, but I did it, red faced and sweaty palms, not a pleasant experience!

Year Two: Resistance

The second year, I didn’t want to go at all.

Not because of the people or because of the evening, but because I knew what was coming. All I could remember were the anxious feelings from year one, my mind replayed them on a loop and tried to convince me to stay home.

But again, after reflecting, I thought: No. Go.

I went. I read.And afterwards I realised — it really wasn’t as bad as I’d made it out to be.

Year Three: Transformation

This year?

Everything changed.

I was actually waiting for the invitation, I was genuinely looking forward to it and this time, I had my Glow & Grow journal with me — filled with sentences, stories, reflections… and poems.

Then it hit me.

💡 I’m going to read one of my poems.

I nearly ran to the dinner party!

When my turn came, I won’t lie — it felt emotional. The poem was personal and I felt overwhelmed, but I read it anyway.

The response?

People were deeply moved, conversations flowed, I was asked if I write often, what Glow & Grow is and how it started.

That one moment opened doors I could never have predicted.

The Real Lesson

Here’s what I want you to take from this:

Please keep doing the things that make you uncomfortable.

Not recklessly, not to prove anything but because life has a funny way of rewarding you when you take a different turn.

I could have declined in year one.I could have backed out in year two.

But it wasn’t until year three that I realised how much this one annual event had quietly given me — confidence, connection, opportunity.

Confidence didn’t magically arrive.

It was built — one uncomfortable decision at a time.

Sonya xx

Our February in person workshop is all about how we can build our confidence, so if you'd like to join us full details can be found online