The Mighty You Within

True to the saying, “Your playing small does not serve the world” by Marianne Williamson, this image speaks volumes, doesn’t it?  If our inner voice could more accurately reflect the lion in the picture, we’d all be better off.  Guaranteed.  But, for some reason, we often tout the good ol’ tabby cat attitude about ourselves.  Never quite living up to our own expectations or others, more commonly as a result.  And, I am saying that it simply isn’t good enough.  There’s no reason for it.  If YOU don’t fully believe in yourself, who will?  You’ve heard it over and over again, but have you really internalized that statement?  I’m guessing not.  We give lip service to a lot of things in this life.  

So, what does it take to truly bring about change?  That’s hard to say, as it is different for everyone.  A lot of the time it’s that we finally get sick of our die-hard, ill-functioning habits and decide that, ‘enough is enough’.  Have you ever had those ‘heart-to-heart’ self-talks?  You know, the ones in which you hope that no one else is listening in because it gets a little bit more than real.  Maybe something like, “All right…that’s it!!  Why?  Why do I keep doing this to myself?!?  Well, I am sick of it.  Just plain sick and I am not going to do it anymore.  You hear me?  I AM NOT GOING TO DO THIS ANYMORE!”.  And, in that moment, you show absolute disgust with yourself.  A switch is turned and you cannot go back.  Most of the time this is the really scary part….when we realize that though familiar, there is no going back to old ways.  You just don’t have it in you anymore.  The only way out is forward, to the unknown.  The best and worst realization.  The best because of all that you have yet to discover, and the worst because you are leaving behind what is comfortable.  What was comfortable.

What’s interesting for me is this…  Any time that I have had those pivotal moments, and I’ve had a few thankfully, good always comes from it.  Always.  And then, I wonder why I waited so long to make the change.  No point in wondering, however, as I obviously just wasn’t ready.  No therapy needed for that one.  No big long explanation.  Most of these epiphanies are not rooted in scientific, medical or psychological ‘mumbo-jumbo’, so to speak.  Why we feel the need to complicate things and explain/justify our actions, past or future, I am not sure?  Mostly, I think it’s out of concern for how we will be perceived by others.  Our biggest downfall by far, but clearly part of our human experience.  The thing is that if other people are in their heads as much as we are in ours, then would it not be likely that they don’t have space to deal with all of our ‘stuff’ too?  I mean, they are too busy worrying about themselves to worry about all of our idiosyncracies.  See if you can make that little golden nugget stick.  Because it’s true.  You know it and I know it just based on our own truths.

When we think highly of ourselves, so do those who are around us.  It’s a fact.  Similar to, ‘Set the bar high’ and all that jazz.  Regardless of our circumstances or lot in life.  No one consciously wants to surround themselves with those who aim for sub-par things in life.  It’s just not what we are about.  So, why would we settle for less in ourselves?  Fear mostly.  The sooner we face that truth, the sooner we can do something about it and move past it.  We do a lot of things to skirt around our fears, and none of them work.  Not.  A.  Single.  One.  And, in the end, we still need to deal with that which we are avoiding, in which case if we simply addressed what was the issue in the first place, we’d be a lot further ahead with placing our time and energies where they belong.  I learned this valuable lesson from the book, Women, Food and God-An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth–an excellent read by the way, and contrary to its title, not as religiously based as you might think.

Book or no book, picture or no picture, quote or no quote, the next time you look in the mirror, be sure to adjust your mane and belt out your loudest roar–you owe it to yourself and the world around you whose horizons will expand thanks to YOU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement