The Moment Before You Almost Don't Book

I know this moment because I've watched so many women live inside it, and I've lived inside it myself.

You've read the page. You've watched the reel twice. Maybe you've even started filling in the interest form. And then your cursor just sits there, over the submit button, while your brain runs through every reason this isn't actually going to happen.

I want to walk you through what's usually happening in that pause, because I don't think you're being dramatic, and I don't think you're the only one.

The Money Math

The first thing that shows up is usually the money. Not really the number itself, more the quiet math you do without meaning to. What you've spent on your kids this year. What you've put away for your partner's birthday, for Christmas, for the things that mattered to someone else. And somewhere in there, you notice your own self care has quietly shrunk down to a seven dollar coffee, because that's what actually fits in the gaps you leave yourself.

That's why the payment plans exist, but honestly, the real thing I want you to sit with is this. You get one life. About 18 summers with your kids before they're grown and gone. They don't need you to be perfect. They need you to be happy, and they want to actually know who their mum is, not just what she does for everyone else. Your partner just wants the best for you as well, even if he has no idea what a women’s retreat is (don’t stress 9/10 of the women who come, their partner can’t even explain what they are doing). Somewhere underneath the money question, you already know that investing in yourself is the best thing you could do, not just for you, but for every person who depends on you.

The Timing Excuse

Then the timing thought arrives, right on schedule. Not now. Not this month. Maybe next year, when things settle down.

How many times have you already said that to yourself? And a few months later, here you are again, having the same conversation, because the timing is never actually right. There's always a reason, a busy season, a birthday, a work deadline. Here's the thing though. The best time to do shadow work is when your shadows come up, and they come up when you least want them to, not on a schedule that suits your calendar.

How frustrating, I know but that’s always why we support you coming and going from the retreat and ensure the calls suit you.

I was serious about the Sunshine Coast retreat being designed for you.

The Fear of Strangers

Somewhere around here, a different fear shows up, one that's harder to say out loud. Am I really going to go away with a group of strangers?

Fair fear. Except by the time you'd actually arrive, it wouldn't be true anymore, because of the two weeks of pre-coaching before the retreat even starts. You'd already know us. You'd already know the other women. You'd already have laughed with them before you'd packed a bag. 

Some of the best connections I've made in my life have come from women who were in the exact same boat as me. Not similar lives, not similar jobs. Just the same boat, the one where you're tired of holding everything together on your own. That's a stronger bond than most friendships built on convenience ever get to.

The Family Guilt

And then, right underneath all of it, the last thought. How do I actually leave my family for four days?

I understand this one more than any of the others, because I'm a mother too. But every woman who has felt this exact fear and said yes anyway has come back softer, more present, more herself. Not less available to the people she loves. More available, because she isn't running on empty anymore. Choosing yourself for four days isn't taking something away from your family. It's how they get more of you.

Choosing Yourself Anyway

So if you're sitting in that pause right now, cursor over the button, running through the same four thoughts I just described, I want you to know you're not making this up, and you're not the only one who's ever felt exactly this. Most women who end up at Surrender almost didn't come. They just decided the reason to go was a little bit louder than the reason not to.

If that's where you're at, book a free connection call. No pressure, no pitch. Just an honest conversation about where you actually are.