Help yourself to step up in life

Why is it others can often see our worth before we can see it ourselves? Do you put some people on pedestals and discard others? Be honest with your answer…what goes on in your head is part of you, most of us do it in some shape or form. Thoughts can be felt almost as much as words can be heard.

When you notice judgement happening have a little reminder to yourself that: No ONE is below you and No ONE is above you!

The above words keep coming up for me lately because I have done it all my life! I have put so many people on pedestals and looked down on others…especially myself. In a profession where I am open to judgement doesn’t make it easy….I guess that’s one of my lessons in this life, learning to notice my fears, learn how to handle them and Step UP. Perhaps it’s a lesson for all of us.

This rambling post was inspired when I was recently asked to teach at a Yoga Australia event in Busselton, WA. Initially I was delighted to be asked. This was teaching yoga to other yoga instructors and as the event grew closer I noticed excuses popping up….I had Archy my son, my husband was away that weekend. I had to ask someone to look after him, ah, there we go, too hard, I’ll cancel and give them plenty of time to ask someone else. Easy:-)

Sometimes it takes an event or a person or both to help us step up out of our comfort zone. The organiser for Yoga Australia saw through me and gently suggested ways around it. She was right, I saw I was cancelling due to my own fears and blocks regards my yoga teaching. Not feeling good enough, putting myself down with fear of judgement. If it had been students no problem but it was others in the same profession….What will they think of me?  They’ll be so much better than me. I’m not worthy to be up there teaching them….…goodness knows what else was going through that noggin of mine!!

I managed to put it to the back of my radar through several tools I’ve learnt…until I stepped in and was suddenly in front of everyone. That’s when the real work had to happen.

I felt that subtle sweat of nerves, that feeling of tightness, the personal insecurity creeping in. I noticed it, acknowledged it, made friends with it and reminded myself…we are all the SAME, each one of us has fears, each one of us has insecurities, each one of us is here to learn and grow.

We just grow at different rates and through different modalities. An example I often use of this is, when I was growing up I loved to run. I  would run nearly every day if I could. People thought I was a crazy……what’s ‘your one’ (I was in Ireland) out running again for?? 20 years later and running has taken Ireland by storm. Some of those same people who couldn’t see or feel the benefit back then now LOVE running!

What do we need to do to tap into our self worth to grow? 

We all have a core being as well as fragmented parts. These fragmented parts can be called ‘personas’ which we have many of. We may be holding on to some personas, such as fear, that no longer serve us. They can’t see our future vision of lifestyle and prosperity. These personas may have been there to help and protect us in the past but are no longer needed in that way for our future.

It is not a matter of getting rid of these personas/this part of you but simply acknowledging them and changing their role. Spend some time with yourself and help this part of you understand your new vision and how they can help you achieve your new aims and goals through love. Teach this part of you /persona to build you up, to help you rather than knock you down.

Pushing these personas further away and burying them within won’t get rid of them…they’ll still come and find you, they are part of you:-).

Take fear as an example again…. notice it, face it, feel it, use it to help you and as you build on these tools you will find yourself stepping up more and more within your life. You will find a deeper courage you may not have known you ever had. I’m not saying it’s easy but it’s worth it. Avoidance is so much easier:-)

Stepping up is different for us all. It could be taking the harder pose in yoga rather than the easy option, moving country, changing jobs, eating better, signing up for that course, telling someone you love them. Notice when you are doing things to help build you up and become more aware rather than pushing thing
s down and/or covering up.

The people you surround yourself with can make all the difference. I’m grateful for Patti, the organiser of Yoga Australia WA, to have seen through me and encouraged me to step forward, to face one of my fears, helping me to shine my light a little brighter, learn something new about myself, grow a little more and to give me a buzz …you know you’re on the right path when you feel that buzz:-)

No one is above you and no one is below you – we are all unique and worthy of our desires.

GO GET YOURS

I would love to hear your experiences and what has worked for you. I am not a psychologist however I love the psychology of life and am simply sharing what works for me at the time. This too will change. Maybe it will inspire one of you to stop for part of your day to tune into you:-)