The Thing I Almost Missed Because I Was Embarrassed

What if the things you're most afraid to try are the very things that could change your life?

In this episode, I'm sharing a personal story about how embarrassment and fear of judgment kept me from discovering my love of running and weightlifting for years. We'll explore the hidden cost of caring too much about what other people think and the opportunities, passions, and growth we miss when we let other people's opinions make our decisions for us.

If you've ever held yourself back because you were afraid of being judged, this episode is for you.

I would love to hear how your inner mean girl is showing up and what tools are working for you!

Let's connect! you can find me on Instagram or Facebook

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Love, Rach

Transcript

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Welcome to Rewrite Her Voice, the podcast that takes a bold and compassionate look at the inner critic living rent-free in your head. You know the one. She's judgmental, perfectionistic, and never misses a chance to tear you down. But here's the truth: that voice isn't truly you. Each week we dive into an honest conversation with powerful stories and practical tools to uncover where that inner mean girl came from, why she shows up, and how to rewrite her script. It's time to reclaim your inner voice, break the cycle of self-sabotage, and speak to yourself with the kindness and strength you deserve. If you're ready to stop letting your inner mean girl run the show and start showing up as your most authentic, empowered self, let's go. Hey, hey, hey! Welcome back. Have you ever stopped to wonder how many decisions you've made based on what other people might think? Not what you wanted. Not what felt right to you, not what you're curious about, but what would keep you from being judged. So I was thinking about this recently while I was out running. Okay, when I was a kid, I hated PE. Like hated it. Not because I hated moving my body, not because I wasn't capable, but because my face gets really, really red when I exercise. The second I got hot, my face would turn bright red. And almost every time someone would point it out. Kids and teachers would ask with horrified looks on their face, Are you okay? And then people laughed. And sometimes people just stared at me, like, what the heck is wrong with this person? And sometimes they acted genuinely concerned, right? But when you're a kid, it doesn't really matter what their intention is. What you hear is something is wrong with me. So I stopped participating. I did the bare minimum. I avoided drawing attention to myself like the plague. I avoided the embarrassment of a red face. And what I didn't realize at the time was that I wasn't just avoiding judgment. I was also avoiding something I would eventually come to love. As an adult, I discovered weightlifting. I discovered running. I discovered how powerful movement is for my own personal mental health. I discovered how much stronger, calmer, and more confident I feel when I move my body regularly. And sometimes I wonder, what if I had never tried again? What if I had continued believing that protecting myself from judgment was more important than exploring what I actually enjoyed? And honestly, the thing that got me into running and exercising was my sister-in-law. It was just after I had Devin, and she would drag me out for a run before the sun even came up. And on the days we weren't running, we did these HIT workouts that absolutely annihilated me. So thanks, Cassie. Appreciate you dragging me and my butt out of bed and doing the hard things. What if I had continued, though, believing that protecting myself from judgment was more important than exploring what I actually enjoyed? Because the truth is, other people's opinions almost kept me from discovering something that now plays a huge role in my well-being. And I don't think I'm alone in that. How many things have you not tried because you're worried about what people will think? How many opportunities have you talked yourself out of? How many dreams have been sitting on a shelf because someone laughed once, criticized once, or made you feel like you didn't belong? Maybe it's starting a business, maybe it's posting online, maybe it's speaking up, maybe it's wearing the outfit, maybe it's going back to school, maybe it's joining the gym. Maybe it's ending the relationship. Maybe it's starting over. But the cost of judgment isn't just discomfort. The cost is often the life experiences we never allow ourselves to have. And here's what I've learned. People are going to have opinions no matter what. If you stay small, they'll have opinions. If you grow, they'll have opinions. If you play it safe, they'll have opinions. If you take a risk, you guessed it, they'll have opinions. You don't actually get freedom by avoiding judgment. You get freedom by deciding that someone else's opinion doesn't get a vote in your life. Because the reality is that most people are thinking about themselves far more than they're thinking about you. We all have main character syndrome. And even when they are judging you, their judgment doesn't have to become your limitation. One of the questions I ask myself now is what might I discover if I stop worrying about looking dumb? Okay? Because on the other side of looking dumb, there might be joy. It might be purpose. It might be healing, it might be confidence, it might be a version of yourself you've never met before. I almost missed out on running. I almost missed out on weightlifting. I almost missed out on something that supports my mental health, helps me process stress, and reminds me how strong I really am. All because I was trying to avoid being seen. So today I'm channeling my sister-in-law, and I'm gonna drag your butt off the couch figuratively, and I want to leave you with a question. What are you missing out on? Because you're worried about what someone else might think. And more importantly, what would become possible if you gave yourself permission to try anyway? Because your life is too valuable to build around other people's opinions. And maybe the thing you're avoiding is actually the thing that's waiting to change your life. So if this episode resonated with you, my friend, I'd love, love, love, love for you to share this episode with someone who might be playing small because they're worried about what other people think. And if you're ready to start rewriting the stories that have been keeping you stuck, shoot me a message on socials and let's chat. I would love to support you as you jump into something scary and cheer you on. Remember, my sweet, sweet, sweet friend, you are enough. You are enough for that scary thing. You are worthy and you are loved. Until the next time, my sweet friend. Love Rach. Hey my sweet friend. Thank you so much for spending time with me today on Rewrite Her Voice. If you love today's episode, will you hit that subscribe button for me? And be sure to share it with a friend. If you're ready to quiet your inner mean girl and step into your own authentic voice, I would love for you to join me inside our cultivating membership. Until next time, remember, you are enough.