To Sparkle

Self-confidence. What comes to mind when you see these words? What does it mean for you?  Let’s be honest.  isparkleleigh-1356808639_600

  • Do you have a sense of unshakeable confidence?
  • Are you valuable, worth it, and open to receiving? Or not good enough, closed, unable to see barriers and limitations?
  • Do you feel conscious and aware? Or do you experience fear of the unknown or fear of facing yourself?

Most of us ignore and avoid these questions. ‘I’m self confident, of course I am. Let’s not talk about it anymore.’

Well, we need to talk about it because this one thing just might be getting in the way of you leading the life that’s waiting for you. The good news is, you are fully supported. My job (with a capital J) at Uplift is to help and guide you through a period of intense change and transition—for the better. If you already feel a lack of self-confidence, trust me, it will continue until you change or until you stop what you’re doing and create the space for your own unique ‘Being’ to emerge—your natural brilliance, waiting to arrive.

I lack self-confidence.

It takes a lot of courage to admit this at first. We’re strong, capable, and intelligent human beings…and there’s no room to play around with this self-confidence thing. Talking about a lack of self-confidence treads brazenly into uncomfortable and vulnerable territory. We tell the world that we’re confident. Through our working years, we promote our confidence to friends, employers, colleagues. We know that we are competent (or when we’re not, we fake it, until we make it) and we know what we want—to some degree—but are we happy, fully satisfied, and content? The reality is that we’re afraid to go there, to unearth that murky mess.

As one of my very wise clients said in a recent interview with the CBC, “the most difficult part about this work was that I was afraid of the person I was going to meet”. This is very real and very raw work. It takes a lot of courage to start, but this is where life begins to unfold in ways that your mind could never imagine.

The underlying problem with our predicament is that we contribute to it ourselves through our internal storyline. We tell ourselves what we want to believe; we allow our egos to overcompensate and project our not-so-best-selves; we push down the fear and anxiety instead of facing them.

What we resist, persists. What we focus on, grows.

This storyline often gets us the house, the cars, the material items we are told will bring us happiness, but there is always that voice leading to the bigger question of whether we have done “the right thing”. We start to experience an internal void, a feeling of unhappiness, or even depression and whole host of other health issues.

Don’t get caught up in your storyline.

This ego-driven fear undermines your self-confidence. The only way forward is to call on your courage, accept the starting point, and commit to what you need to work on or pay attention to, to what matters most in this world.

When you step outside your comfort zone (and I know you can), miracles happen. Believe it.

I have observed this lack of self-confidence in many interactions.  It is truly the embodiment of fear: of failure, of not being good enough, of not understanding, of not having all of the answers, of not knowing our direction. Fear can be combated. As this brilliant child says,

The Scared is scared of what we like”.

 The timing for this message is perfect, as we’ve just entered into the Year of the Snake.

It’s time to shed your skin, to dance to the beat of your own drum, and to truly be yourself. That is all that is wanted of you and for you – it’s a gift, it’s life the way it’s meant to be lived. We humans make things much more complicated than we need to (as evidenced in our all time consumer debt-load and laundry list of global issues). Be happy, make life less complicated, say ‘Yes!’ to that inner voice more often, kick back, relax, take a big exhale, and let go of those limitations. Inhale the sense of newness. Inhale a renewed zest for your own spirit. Stand tall and be proud of who you’ve become, at all that you’ve achieved, at the challenges you’ve faced.

I am grateful and inspired by life and the people in it who challenge me to rise up and shine.

Self confidence blooms into:  Unshakable Self Confidence. 

In Yoga, we often say the feeling of the practice is a lot like coming home. If you haven’t arrived yet, I am inviting you now. Come home to happiness.  Come home to peace and calm. After all, this is our Divine birthright.

We have much to be grateful for, really we do, but sometimes the little things go unnoticed. Try to take some time every day to pay attention to the subtle, little miracles that happen in your life and in those moments, smile and say thank you.

Believe in yourself and believe in others.

Let’s help one another with this. We’re all in this together and each and everyone of us has our own unique gifts.

“We live very close together. So our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” ~ Dalai Lama

We have much to celebrate…so get busy, not only realizing your own gifts but celebrating the gifts of others. Then see what happens.

“Let us fall in love again and scatter gold dust all over the world. Let us  Buddhabecome a new spring and feel the breeze drift in heaven’s scent. Let us dress the earth in green and like the sap of a young tree let the grace from within us sustain us. Let us carve gems out of our stony hearts and let them light our path to Love. The glance of Love is crystal clear and we are blessed by its light.” ~ Rumi

How we each experience our personal storyline and our role in life is entirely unique. It’s important for every one of us to do the work, to face ourselves, and to make friends with our fears. I’m here to lead and support you in a loving way. When you’re ready, let’s talk about it.

Love and light,

Paula

Photosource: Flickr

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