Who are you being when you’re not being YourSelf?
I’ve asked myself that question when I realized I was feeling really, really inadequate in the presence of certain people… people I perceived as smarter than me, more successful, and on and on.
I came to the conclusion that I was being the self that compared without compassion. I was being the self that was lacking in conversation confidence. I was being the self that was afraid I was going to be thought of as stupid, inadequate, and somehow not able to please.
I knew it was time to shift from inadequacy to authenticity. So I started studying,asking more deep questions, working with a fantastic coach and teachers, having great friends, and growing a faith in something greater than myself that I could explore and test.
Here is one simple but meaningful process that I learned from Genpo Roshi, BigMind.org:
I sit down and ask the voice that is speaking loudly to say it all. I listen and thank that voice for trying to help me. Then I say it now can go on an eternal vacation while I create a new message with another voice that is positive, kind, and caring.
For example, the voice of fear that told me that it was trying to keep me safe by keeping me quiet was one that I appreciated and then let go. I replaced that voice with the voice of wisdom. Do I listen to that voice 100 percent of the time? Nope. I do, however, listen 80 percent of the time. I find that as I share the wisdom from my heart, I am more confident and do not think about what others think of me.
Would you like to give that a try?