You are the expert in you. In this episode, Sarah explores what happens when we trust our own inner wisdom instead of outsourcing it to others. She shares how reflection and self-awareness can strengthen your confidence and calm. Listen in and be reminded that the answers you’re looking for might already be within you.
BTW - If you didn't already know, I'm Sarah - Drink Less; Live Better founder, best-selling author, expert speaker, life coach and, as you already know, podcast host!
We don't have to hit rock bottom, we're allowed to want something different and we can CHOOSE to improve our lives from this point onwards.
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Transcripts
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Hello and welcome to this episode of the Drink Less Live Better podcast. I'm your host Sarah Williamson.
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Be sure to follow me on Instagram at drinklesslivebetter and head to the website drinklesslivebetter.com where you can sign
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up for the 5-day Drink Less Experiment, download my free habit tracker and join my email club for regular inspiration, ideas
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and resources to help you live better.
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Today I want to talk about a concept that sits right at the heart of everything I do with my clients and in my own life too.
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It's the idea that you are the expert in you. Yep, no one else.
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No one else has lived your life, thought your thoughts, felt your feelings, taken your actions or experienced the world through your unique mind and body.
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No one else has your history, your habits, your hopes or your heart.
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And that means that ultimately no one knows you better than you do. I know, annoying isn't it?
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If I was to tell you that you are the expert in you, how would you feel about it?
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Of course we all grow up being told to look to others for for answers and knowledge.
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Parents, teachers, doctors, therapists, coaches, influencers, the world is full of people with advice, guidance and opinions and that can be incredibly valuable.
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Learning from others expands our perspective, it gives us tools, language and insight we might not have found on our own.
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But there's a very fine line between seeking support and outsourcing your expertise.
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When you start to believe that other people know better than you then, well, where does that leave you?
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What happens when we don't see ourselves as the expert?
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Let's say you have a decision to make about your health, your relationships, your career, your drinking and instead of tuning
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into your own wisdom you look outside yourself for answers.
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You ask everyone else what they think.
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You scroll through social media looking for validation.
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You read all the books and listen to all the podcasts hoping that someone out there will tell you what to do.
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You gather all this information but instead of clarity you end up with confusion.
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When we start to believe we don't know enough about ourselves we start to lose confidence, we second guess everything, we
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stop trusting our instincts and life starts to feel, well, overwhelming.
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Like we're being blown around by other people's opinions instead of finding our own and sticking to them.
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A line I sometimes say to my clients is okay, I am the student, you are the teacher.
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Tell me what you know for sure.
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I stand myself in a place to get educated instead of using my worldview to try to understand something and potentially get it wrong.
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Let's pretend that we now accept that I am the expert in me and you are the expert in you. What happens next? Well hopefully something will shift. You'll begin to trust yourself.
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You'll start listening your thoughts, your feelings and to your body.
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You might notice what energises you and what drains you.
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You might notice what feels aligned and what doesn't.
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You'll start to make decisions that come from your inner knowing not from fear or other people's expectations.
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And when you do that consistently your confidence will grow You'll stop needing external validation because you'll have internal
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validation, you'll trust yourself to figure things out, you'll become the calm center of your own life and you'll leave some of that chaos about indecision behind.
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This won't mean shutting out the world or refusing all advice, opinion or insight, being the expert in you doesn't mean you
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have to be the expert in everything, it just means you're going to be able to take in weigh it up and make choices that please
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you, that honour your values, your needs and your goals.
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It's a bit like being your own advocate.
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Of course you can still work with coaches, mentors, doctors, teachers, of course of course you can, but you do so as an equal participant, not a passive receiver.
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You ask questions, you share wisdom, you collaborate.
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You partner with others while claiming your own expertise.
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How can we strengthen this relationship with ourselves?
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How do we become even more confident in our own self-knowledge?
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Well, some of the answer lies in reflection and self-awareness.
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Self-awareness is shining a light into the corners of your own mind.
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It helps you to see the patterns you've been running on autopilot and it gives you a chance to pause before acting.
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It's what allows you to say oh that's interesting, I usually reach for a drink when I feel anxious or I notice I'm saying
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yes when actually what I want to say to this person is no.
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And reflection is how you gather data about you.
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Maybe that's journaling, maybe it's walking and thinking, maybe it's simply noticing how you feel at the end of the day.
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Reflection helps you connect the dots, it's how you can maintain curiosity and be an observer of your own life.
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And the more curious you become the more open-minded you can be.
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You might stop thinking what's wrong with me? Your lived experience matters. Your body's signals matter. Your emotions are data not drama.
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The more you can tune in, reflect and trust yourself the easier it will be to claim the title of self expert.
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You might find that some of the answers you've been looking for outside of you will be inside you. Thank you for listening in today.
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If you've enjoyed this episode please follow, subscribe, rate and review, drink less, live better wherever you listen to your
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podcasts and if you'd like more support in learning to trust yourself and live with greater confidence and calm visit
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Check out the show notes for a link to a hidden podcast episode that will help you with your 5pm cravings and details about
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my one-to-one life coaching and sober coaching programs and P.S. I believe in you.
