Maybe at one point or another in life you’ve had that sensation of wanting to hide from the world. I can, for sure, speak for myself that I’ve wanted to do so. I actually believe that to a degree, getting out of dodge for a bit can be a healthy-slash- self care sort of thing. Checking out for a bit in order to get quiet and become more grounded can provide a necessary recharge. Although, when hiding becomes a lifestyle rather than a mini re-set you can get trapped in playing small in your life.

So, how do you know if you’re in hiding and keeping yourself from opportunities and possibilities that want your attention?

You Feel like Something is Missing

You can’t put your finger on it, but something feels unsettled. There might be an underlying feeling that “something is missing” and “there’s more out there” for you. You feel restless. You find it difficult to feel settled with where you're at in life. Generally speaking, it can feel hard to sit, relax and just BE, which can breed chronic busyness and doing.

Your Intuition Says So

You just know it in your gut. I’m not going to say anything more than this: When your intuition speaks, listen up.

You’re Triggered Left and Right

It’s normal to get triggered by others, although when you’re constantly triggered by the people around you, that can be a sign that you’re hiding from an aspect of you that's demanding your attention. The world is awaiting for you to tap into and share your uniqueness. We all show up in this life with gifts to contribute. Your gift is unique to you. Nobody can give your gift like you can.

When we're hiding and playing small, we’re not the only one that’s missing out. The world is too. When we start to notice who is triggering us and begin to look for patterns within who and what is a trigger, that can lead to some information about our unique gifts that we’re denying or keeping beneath the surface.

You Feel Bored

You’re struggling to feel excited about something; Anything. Things feel status quo. Each day is bleeding into the next. A feeling of blah is a staple feeling throughout your day.

I understand that sometimes we have to do things in life that are not necessarily fun and exciting. Dishes need to be cleaned, laundry needs to get taken care of, groceries need to be bought…and the list goes on. Although, I’m referring to chronic boredom that has become a way of life and has dampened your spark. Boredom that's getting in the way of how you want to feel in your life. This is the kind of boredom that might be telling you something.

You’re Avoiding Your Natural Curiosities

We all have people, places and things that naturally turn our heads. We don’t have to try with what we have curiosity about, it just is. It’s similar to the concept of attraction. There are some people that we’re super drawn to and fall for over others. Even when someone looks ideal on paper, there is just some chemistry between us humans that just IS. Attraction is not always logical. Our curiosity and what we find interesting works on a similar level. If you consciously notice that you're making up excuses in order to avoid events, opportunities and people that you have an inner drawing toward, this can be a signal that you're denying yourself joy and possibilities in your life.

The Voice is Getting Louder

It’s getting more difficult to push away that idea or that voice that’s calling you to step forward. The boredom, your inner voice, the feeling that something just isn’t right. It’s all getting louder and more unavoidable. It's officially caving in.

You might even feel more anxiety than normal because on an unconscious level you have some sort of knowing that you can be living a reality more true to you. What you used to be able to black out of your mind and compartmentalize is face first in front of you. Life wants you to live up to your full potential and it will put opportunities and people in place to trigger you and push you toward your truth.

To come full circle, I suppose the question now is for you to decide if you’re living smaller than your meant too. If not, awesome. Carry on friend.

If the above did speak to you, honor yourself for admitting it and getting through this post. For the record, I'm not going to leave you hanging with this topic. Stay tuned for my "Part 2" of this blog post that will extend the conversation by providing perspectives and ideas intended to encourage your inner momentum to make some positive movement.

* The above image was taken by San Diego Photographer Renata Amazonas.