Learning to Love Ourselves Means Stepping Into Our Knowing
I believe that one of our greatest feats in life is to learn to love ourselves and be our true authentic selves. These accomplishments aren’t the easiest to do. We can certainly take the time to care for others, say good things to others, and realize the potential in others as we see their beauty. Yet, when it comes to our own self, we often get caught up in judgments and faulty beliefs, causing us to stumble and believe that we just don’t quite measure up to others. As we compare ourselves to others, we already are in a losing state because no one wins when you start to compare yourself to another person. We often get into a place where it is easy for us to empower other people’s version of who we are over our own true self and our inner knowing. We can step into someone else’s thoughts about what we are to be doing or who we are, but we don’t easily step into validating what we already know to be our own truth.
The truth of the matter is that we can only be who we are and it is through accepting ourselves that we can begin to step into our authentic self, loving who we are right here, right now. There is nothing more to do. We are enough just as we are. Accepting who we are and embracing the essence of what we bring to the table, is how we can begin to be have the courage to be our authentic self.
To get there, start with a simple step. As you notice your judgments or your limiting beliefs, let them fall by the wayside. Notice them, label them as a judgment, and then let them go. Don’t hold onto them. Don’t lean into them. Notice them, describe them, and let them float away. And when you find yourself in this pattern of being harsh with yourself, step into gratitude. Pick something you can claim about yourself, something you do love about yourself, Pick something that you do know is part of the essence of you that you are willing to claim. Even if you can only start small, such as you love your blue eyes, then start small. Start there, and add another item to the list tomorrow. Build on it. The more you do this, claim these parts of you, the more you can step into your love of who you are and begin to embrace your authentic self. When you can embrace who you are, you can step into your own knowing and then share more of your authentic self with the world, which is a gift to you and those around you. This week notice your judgments and limiting beliefs towards yourself. And notice the essence of your authentic self and moments when you feel connected to you and you are expressing and sharing “you” with the world.
Tags: being your authentic self, empowering yourself, trusting yourselfABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janie Pfeifer Watson
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner- Janie Pfeifer Watson, LICSW, is the founder and director of Wholeness Healing Center, a mental health practice in Grand Island, Nebraska with remote sites in Broken Bow and Kearney. Her expertise encompasses a broad range of areas, including depression, anxiety, attachment and bonding, coaching, couples work, mindfulness, trauma, and grief. She views therapy as an opportunity to learn more about yourself as you step more into being your authentic self. From her perspective this is part of the spiritual journey; on this journey, she serves as a mirror for her clients as they get to know themselves—and, ultimately, to love themselves.
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