My niece
Victoria arrived Dec. 31, 2012 at 5:10A. My brother and his wife
celebrated in the hospital and put on a new years headpiece for her. She
is such a gift and I'm so excited to see the person she will become.
For
the past couple of days I've been asking "What are 2 things you learned
this year that made the most impact on you?" For me it was letting
go/surrender and loving people for where they are at. One person shared
she needed to rest and sleep. Another said he need to learn how to say
no to things. Another reminded me to not judge.
Then
I heard how they beat themselves down. I complimented them and some had
a hard time receiving it. They said something like "That's very kind of
you but..." The word "but" negated everything. Have you ever done
this?
It's
hard sometimes to compliment yourself and it may seem counterintuitive
with what society tells us is proper. It seems okay to accept
compliments from others but to compliment yourself just doesn't feel
right.
Today I'm telling you MUST acknowledge who you are. Just like Victoria, YOU ARE A GIFT. The world deserves the BEST you.
Today I'm challenging you to brag about yourself. If you need help, reply to this email and I'll respond with what I love best about you. I don't think bragging deserves all of the negative sentiment that it has received. It's simply about the intention behind it.
Today I'm challenging you to brag about yourself. If you need help, reply to this email and I'll respond with what I love best about you. I don't think bragging deserves all of the negative sentiment that it has received. It's simply about the intention behind it.
When
I have sense of pride over something I have done well, I want to share
it because it feels good to have someone to celebrate with - not because
I hope to accentuate the lack that someone else is feeling in their own
life. Here are five ways you can start to shine your light for the whole world to see.
Tip #1 - Start Out Small
Get
yourself acclimated with the best parts of you by writing down all the
things you are proud of on a piece of paper. Then read it to yourself,
it's going to feel awkward at first. Maybe pretend its your best
friend(s) telling you these things.
Restrain
from censoring your thoughts. This is just for your eyes and there's no
need to feel the guilt you might normally feel entertaining these
thoughts. If you're feeling really bold, hang up the list somewhere
visible. You deserve to be proud of who you are every single day.
Tip #2 - Make Your Own Celebration
Often
times we wait for someone else to pat us on the back and validate our
worth. Then, when that doesn't happen, we let accomplishments fall to
the wayside without the proper acknowledgement and celebration.
So create your own celebration.
If you can become your own cheerleader and support system then you
won't have to replace your elation with the disappointment of unmet
expectations.
Take yourself out to dinner. Buy yourself an AiryFairy Airplant.
Get an AIRBRUSH TAN or teeth whitened. Treat yourself so that you can
feel the magnitude of your own greatness. Sorry shameless plug. =)
Tip #3 - Accept All Compliments
When someone hands you a compliment, only two words are necessary - thank you.
Most
of us like to follow up compliments with conversation filler
statements; the ones that allow someone else to take the credit or
compliment the person back or explain to the compliment giver why we
really aren't deserving of such niceties. Stop that. It's an insult to you and to them.
If accepting a compliment feels unnatural and uncomfortable, sit with
it - it'll pass and then you'll be better prepared to accept the next
one that comes your way.
Tip #4 - Give Others the Opportunity to Boast
Pass
that sentiment along. Encourage those you care about to share their
accomplishments with you. This creates an environment where it feels
good to be confident - and how can that be a bad thing?
Tip #5 - Recognize You Are Great Now
We
tend to avoid looking at how spectacular things are in the moment
because we are future-oriented beings. We don't want to point out how
things currently stand because we believe that we will be "better" when
we accomplish x, y, or z. The thing is, what you have accomplished today
was likely your "x, y, or z" of the past, so it must be celebrated. And
YOU must be celebrated for making it happen.
Don't wait for circumstances to change or events to happen to boast about where you are and all that you have done. Today, you are PERFECTION.
