This
morning, I enjoyed a waffle breakfast at Williams. As I looked around me at the
people inside who were also nourishing their bodies with a tempting morsel or refreshing
beverage and outside as the people seemed to be hurrying by in their vehicles I
wondered.... How many of these people
are with someone they love? How many are
alone? How many are contemplating some
life changing decision? How many are
looking forward; looking back? How many are present?
Do any of
these people realize what a treasure they are?
Do they know they are important to someone somewhere? Do they cherish themselves for no other
reason than because they are a gift...a gift to you, to me, to themselves? When you walk down the street and your eyes
meet another do you acknowledge that encounter?
How many times do we quickly turn our eyes away? How many times do we seize that moment and
maybe exchange a smile or a nod? In a
world saturated with technology and high energy it is really is important for
us to stop for a moment and be present.
Being
present doesn’t have to be a daunting exercise but it is important that we each
do it each day, even if for only 10 seconds.
To just stop and check in with yourself is vital to your psyche – to
your soul. It’s a time to make sure
you’re being true to yourself. Am I
where I feel valued? Am I where I feel
love? Am I where I feel a live? Am I
where I’m giving as much as I’m taking?
By doing this ‘small’ exercise each and every day....we are less likely
to find ourselves, several years later s, feeling lost or unimportant; then
believing we are trapped or worse....in a state of hopelessness. Checking in with our self is the greatest
gift we can give our self.
On a journey
to ‘self’ rediscovery we often use terms that refer to “me” and “I”. And while for some that may be interpreted as
the solo individual (all about only
me), the truth is each of us – as “me” – is a child to someone and that can’t
be ignored in one’s view of self. As an
individual you may be a sibling, a spouse, parent, friend, mentor....that too
is part of what makes you - YOU. It is
impossible to ignore all the parts of yourself when you’re trying to find yourself. It would be like trying to ignore the value
or purpose of the aorta when trying to heal the heart. The heart has many parts, vena cava, right
atrium, left atrium, right and left ventricles as well as the aorta. While they are ‘separate’ they are very much
part of the whole. To ignore or not care
for one part of the heart in favour of looking after only a single part, will not
only impact the other areas of the heart, but it would also put the heart as a
whole at risk. One part is no more or
less important than the other. The value
of the heart is at its highest only when it is whole and functioning at it
best.
But.....most
of us are afraid. When the questions
come at us flying like bullets in some crazy 3D gangster movie, we become lost
and confused. Naturally the questions we
ask of and to ourselves are not positive in nature. We look in terms of either/or; and make
statements liked “What do I have to give up?” or “This is ‘my life’ not yours”.
The questions we ask ourselves are
polluted with self doubt, worthlessness, not measuring up, critical of our
value, the value of others in our lives and what is my worth not only in the
lives of others but in our own life. We disbelieve anything positive anyone
says to us after all if “I don’t value me, why would they”? That self destructive cycle, for whatever
reason, seems to be so easy to start and maintain, then one that builds us up.
A person
can look in the mirror and find hundreds of faults about themselves but if that
same person were asked to look in that same mirror and find 10 things they
liked about themselves; they’d be very uncomfortable. They would struggle. Some would laugh; others cry and some would
become angry – if they even stayed long enough to look at that amazing and
brilliant person looking back at them. Why
is that? The things we think or say to
our own image...we’d never say to another person who stood before us and ask “what
do I have to offer” or who said “there is nothing good about me”.
Years ago
I watched the movie “Akeelah and the Bee”.
In the movie a man (Dr Joshua Laraby) sees a gift in a young girl (Akeelah
Anderson) trying to make the school’s spelling bee team, but who is afraid to
believe in herself. Why is she afraid? Because
by being her true and authentic self she will step out of the role others have
put her in. Without realizing it, those
in ‘charge’ of her have captured Akeelah and limited her potential and worse she
has come to believe those limitations rather than the possibilities that await
her. At one point Akeelah wants to give
up but Joshua asks her to read a quote he has mounted on his wall. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate;
our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” The discussion they have from that quote is
empowering and an amazing journey begins.
I was so
moved and intrigued by this part of the movie that I vowed to Googled it. I found the quote. It is the first two lines of composition I’ve
come to cherish. Not only have I adopted
as part of my personal foundation, but I have also woven it’s essence into
everything I do.
Here is it
for you to read:
Who am I to be brilliant!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.'
We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?”
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel
insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others. Marianne Williams
Where ever
you are on your life journey, regardless of your religious beliefs; may these words inspire you as much as they have inspired
and transformed me. May you find hope, courage
and strength to not only be your authentic self but also your BRILLIANT self!
Believing in
me, living my dream and hopefully inspiring you to do the same... Carleana
“You can’t believe in a dream, until you can believe in yourself!”
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