Episode 9 - Communicating Our Needs is Kind with Comfort Woods
By Jessica Garrison
I just know everyone is going to love our next guest, Comfort Woods. She is a kind, confident, playful, intuitive, and altruistic woman who has not only done the work for herself but is also sharing her wisdom with other women as an empowerment coach. Her journey involved revisiting the past to take care of her younger self and setting healthy boundaries for herself, though we all know that can be easier said than done.
Comfort went through life staying quiet so she could fit in with the crowd and was a perpetual people pleaser. After hitting her rock bottom, it felt like she was starting over from scratch. The thought of that is horrifying, but it also can be thrilling. You are now able to build the life you want from the ground up and feel good about your efforts. Comfort had to take some time to discover who she was, not what someone else has told her to be or who she morphed herself into so she would be liked. She had to learn to live out of her own expectations rather than someone else’s, but when you’ve been told what to do your whole life and how to act, it’s overwhelming figuring out where to start.
There was some pushback from people in her life who were used to her doing whatever they told her to do, which we’ve heard from guests before. Of course people like it when we do whatever they tell us, but it’s unfortunate to hear how some people get a lot of pushback when they start to stand up for themselves. Guilt is a natural feeling when you begin telling people no for the first time, but that doesn’t mean your growth should stop. Those in your life will just have to get used to the new person you’re becoming, which is actually a healthier version who has boundaries and lives authentically. If they don’t want to change with you, then it might be time to let that person go.
It’s rewarding for Comfort to look back and see how far she has come from childhood to now. It isn’t easy to heal yourself from the past, so it’s impactful to celebrate the wins. Women especially make themselves smaller with their wants and accomplishments, but we should celebrate ourselves and others more often.
If you are looking for a sign to start living your life how you want to live it, this is it! Comfort’s life has changed for the better because she has been living the life she wants to, and her happiness has ultimately improved. She wants everyone to know it is never too late to start living the life you desire. You deserve to live as your authentic self, celebrate the highs, and take time to heal from the lows. If you ever need a reminder, come back to this episode and listen to Comfort’s encouraging words. There’s no time to start like the present!
Ways to Engage: Do you have expectations that people know of automatically or do you communicate them? What stops you from communicating your expectations or boundaries with people? It’s important to be clear with people rather than making assumptions, even if it’s difficult to communicate your expectations at first.