We live in a world that is constantly telling us we don’t measure up. This can be obvious as the person honking at you because you didn’t see the green light soon enough. Or as subtle as an advertisement showing someone eating an order of French fries surrounded by beautiful people.
We are surrounded by messages of lack, inferiority and want.
Worse yet, the messages are often so subtle, or so persistent, that we become numb and lose awareness of these negative messages. We know we are uneasy. We can’t place why we feel out of place. Sometimes the answer is as simple as identifying the connection to this subliminal nagging.
When you are provided with this constant input, it can be challenging to stay in tune with reality. In reality, You are amazing! You are abundant! And you are loved! But sometimes it’s easy to forget how much you rock.
So when you consider self improvement, you may feel it’s selfish or inappropriate to spend time yourself. Is not self improvement, by definition self importance, a vain task?
But the truth of the matter is you can be more effective and valuable to the world if you realize, and I mean really believe, how effective and valuable you are. Everything you touch can be positively impacted if you simply believe in yourself and have a real connection to your value.
It’s often said that pride comes before a fall. I also believe that pride must arrive before success. If you don’t really believe you’re working on something of value, if you aren’t really proud of what you do, why do you bother doing it?
So why don’t we spend more time on ourselves?
Possibly because of another message the imbalanced world bombards us with, “Don’t be selfish”. “Don’t focus on yourself”. There are starving children in (insert country X here), you should focus your energy on helping them.
While I agree we should help starving children in country X, I also believe we should consider where we are coming from when we help others. The energy we put into something is impacted dramatically and directly by our own personal pride, confidence, beliefs and motivations.
If you try to help someone else from a place of imbalance, you are really offering them imbalance.
If we come from a place of abundance and balance, we offer them that same abundance and balance.
I was reading this week in my copy of Moving into Stillness, by Erich Schiffman, about balance. I’ve always thought of balance as calm, stillness, or inaction. However, after reading Erich’s description I think I’ve had it wrong. He describes balance as a top spinning at very high speed. When we are unbalance we are actually in a lower state of energy (picture a top spinning too slowly, about to fall over and crash). When we are in our higher states of energy, read that as confident, self assured and balanced, we are actually metaphorically spinning faster. The result can be stillness and balance.
With this in mind take the time to focus inward. Find your peace, find your purpose, and change the world in the best way that you can, by being Yourself!
Namaste,
Kevin
To aid in this task here a few tips:
-Find a mantra, saying or slogan that empowers you, and repeat it to yourself.
-Take time to meditate and focus inward to allow your body to express needs and take the time to address those needs.
Chakra Chime is a iphone and android app available to help you time meditation and set the meditative mood with soothing chimes. available here
-Allow yourself the freedom to be you. Accept who you are, what you are, how you are, exactly as you are and love yourself. You are the only You there is.
