![](\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NY8VCmzlwLECwxe-5-GjPzXGuDuqqF_nr_d7Kfgm7Uw4kBiXuBds04pnKdcN9kaucaSk3-Qz_pku8WZmQdIBNgOKm7F-e84OmuyYQkW7xqA5sONwMcpEOcasQgMfndgcAPlsy1Of00DOhLppWx6CiBwTIkAD0ERsw8=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/5d0a4840c5dd6be7963fa35c3\/images\/c0cc1c7b-be00-ed3d-22a4-dd3baee69913.gif\")
<\/p>\n
But if you fly often, you already know that the window seat also means: you\u2019re boxed in. Meaning you need to crawl over the middle and aisle seat to get out.<\/p>\n
So, if you need to get up, you have to do the small but uncomfortable thing of asking two strangers to move.<\/p>\n
For some people, that\u2019s not a big deal.<\/p>\n
For me? Historically, it has been a MASSIVE deal. \ud83d\ude1f<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent the majority of my life trying not to inconvenience or disturb people. (A common side effect of children of abuse.)<\/p>\n
So whenever I found myself needing to go to the bathroom during the flight, my first instinct was the same one I\u2019ve had for years: *just wait*. Hold it. Don\u2019t bother anyone. It\u2019s only a couple more hours. You can make it.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_Nbf5YyEGeB8pz2JwAUhh1NjKz7Z-DlonYtX-IL8tIn1LZXisx6YlI7kLCq_uUcU-FfVc8OGXv7Uh9OcnATX-d_IK1bVCezhsHbI_QNyfzHH3MlNxPC74eT6QsG1QM2MUTfpoJYKkUzIUpeLa7DcAtKCpSNZziG4owA=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/5d0a4840c5dd6be7963fa35c3\/images\/eeca8260-73da-6578-0376-9ee4f7eacef2.gif\")
<\/p>\n
But this time, something inside me paused.<\/p>\n
Would I tell my coaching clients to silence their bodies in order not to bother anyone else\u2049\ufe0f Hells-to-the no!<\/em><\/p>\n My body was clearly asking for something simple. So why wouldn\u2019t I listen, the way I coach others to?<\/p>\n So, this time, I spoke up.<\/p>\n And despite the story I was telling myself about how ‘extra’ I was being\u2026<\/p>\n No one sighed. No one rolled their eyes. No one seemed irritated. In fact, they actually seemed happy to stretch their legs.<\/p>\n I was proud to find evidence of a new possibility by ensuring my physical needs are met.<\/p>\n But just as that pride was wearing off\u2026 it happened again. NO WAY was I going to ask them to get up again after just going an hour earlier.<\/p>\n I mean, how entitled could I be?<\/em> \ud83d\udc48That crappy story floated around my mind for a bit.<\/p>\n And then I noticed it. Forgave myself. And chose again.<\/strong><\/p>\n This time, I told myself the new story that I was giving these guys a chance to stretch their legs again, and how helpful it was for all of our bodies to get up again.<\/p>\n And guess what? They were happy to oblige.<\/p>\n Two bathroom breaks in one flight. For some people, that sounds completely unremarkable. But for me, it felt like a tiny revolution.\ud83e\udd73<\/p>\n Because the real shift wasn\u2019t about the bathroom.<\/p>\n It was about listening to my body instead of overriding it.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a woman reading this, there\u2019s a good chance you know exactly what I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n Many of us were quietly trained to be \u201clow-maintenance\u201d.<\/p>\n \u26d4Don\u2019t be difficult. Psychologists even have a term for this pattern: \u201cself-silencing.\u201d It\u2019s the tendency to suppress your own needs, feelings, or voice in order to maintain harmony or avoid conflict. Research shows that this pattern is more frequent among women and is tied to social expectations that women prioritize others’ comfort and needs.<\/p>\n In other words, the instinct to stay quiet or \u201cnot bother anyone\u201d isn\u2019t random.<\/p>\n It\u2019s learned.<\/p>\n And over time, it can show up everywhere.<\/p>\n Holding your bladder on airplanes. Small moments. But they add up.<\/p>\n Sometimes they add up to years of ignoring ourselves.<\/p>\n On that flight, I realized listening to my body didn\u2019t create a problem. Ignoring it would have.<\/p>\n The people next to me stood up for about thirty seconds. That was the entire “inconvenience” I had built up for years.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the internal cost of overriding myself would have been much larger. Discomfort. Numbing. Maybe even a UTI.<\/p>\n The years of telling myself that my needs were less important than someone else\u2019s temporary inconvenience\u2026 \ud83d\udc48that\u2019s one outdated story that\u2019s absolutely getting burned down in this year of the fire horse. \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udc34<\/p>\n And I want you to join me. Start by asking yourself\u2026<\/p>\n Consideration is beautiful. But self-abandonment isn\u2019t.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you recognized yourself in this story, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n The high achievers I work with are thoughtful, perceptive, and highly emotionally intelligent. They care about doing the right thing. They care about people feeling comfortable. While also wanting to show up with integrity in their values.<\/p>\n But somewhere along the way, they learned to override their own signals in the process.<\/p>\n In coaching, part of what we do together is rebuild trust with those signals \u2014 your body, your intuition, your boundaries \u2014 so you can lead, live, and relate to others without abandoning yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n That work doesn\u2019t usually start with a massive life decision.<\/p>\n \u2705It starts with small moments of awareness. If this is something you\u2019re ready to explore, I\u2019d love to support you.<\/p>\n You can learn more about coaching or schedule a conversation with me here:<\/p>\n Sometimes the most powerful change begins with something small\u2026<\/p>\n Like listening to your body on a plane.<\/p>\n And realizing you\u2019re allowed to ask for what you need.<\/p>\n One step at a time, without judgment of pace.<\/p>\n Let’s do this!<\/p>\n My private and group coaching is for high-achievers who are tired of pleasing everyone but themselves, and who want to create a life that lights them up.<\/p>\n Alignment Coaching isn\u2019t self-help, therapy, or regular mindset coaching. It\u2019s a nervous system-aware, compassionate journey of self-discovery that honors your mind, body, and soul.<\/p>\n Check out what one of my powerhouse coaching clients said about working together:<\/p>\n \u201cMaryBeth is masterful in the moment. She reflects back what\u2019s really going on, helps you get clear on what you need, and supports you to make real change. Working with her got me back into my power faster, and with so much more grace.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n –\u00a0Carrie Neumann, \u200b\u200bSenior Director, Field Diversity & Inclusion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Why So Many Women Ignore Their Needs (And How to Start Listening to Your Body Again) I don’t know about you, but when given the choice, I 100% of the time choose a window seat on the plane. \u2708\ufe0f Why? As a solid napper, it\u2019s the perfect way to keep my neck supported against the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24988,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38,18,23,10,13,35,21,22],"tags":[43,37,17,24,4,25,27,44],"class_list":["post-26373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-consciousness","category-emotional-intelligence","category-empowerment","category-experience","category-leadership","category-mindfulness","category-reflection","category-values","tag-abundance","tag-consciousness","tag-emotional-intelligence","tag-empowerment","tag-leadership","tag-reflection","tag-values","tag-wisdom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe Cost of Being \u201cEasy\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\u26d4Don\u2019t ask for too much.
\n\u26d4Don\u2019t make things inconvenient.<\/p>\n
\nNot asking questions in meetings.
\nNot speaking up when something doesn\u2019t feel right.
\nIgnoring your body when it needs rest.<\/p>\n
\nWhat My Body Taught Me at 30,000 Feet<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How often do you override your body, your instincts, or your needs in the name of being \u201cconsiderate\u201d?<\/h4>\n
![\"Over](\"https:\/\/ci3.googleusercontent.com\/meips\/ADKq_NZl8VCylDlhq7F2sndY_o3HJPeZH2hQObysX1Um22spY_j4LKwpqv6yxiGgVw8_pg6bi3Yke1WcY05COpXJdmVV7bcvyZ6DDkERAuJYZrGDozv5aHbmGc_8XZOpeKqtM4-Fk_6FfcNccT_qNBakqCBcqE5YJ-jXPkFfD__DSXlrfSz5WH5yeL43XLJ26yFyKD2Q94eG4rRrDdOUwcH64rzdVi_Fj1aaTXfldW-oJ3O2FykieQxG5aCwwQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https:\/\/media1.giphy.com\/media\/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExOXRrdTRzM3pwNXd2MzdlYjA1YTQ5bXA4N3N1cnp6bGpueDQzZGJ1cSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n\/mD44ZStfDEDngsTL6g\/giphy.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u2705Small experiments in self-trust.
\n\u2705Small shifts that change how you show up in your life.<\/p>\nLearn More and Set Up a Call Here<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nP.S.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Learn More and Set Up a Call Here<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n