I was attending an event as guest speaker. At the end of the event, some people came to talk to me showing their appreciation. On one hand I am expecting this since always is happening but on the other hand is always a surprise since the emotion of the person in front of me is unique.
A lady approached me saying how much she recognize herself in my speech and to thank me. She stayed with me for few minutes telling me how much courage I just gave her but after other people came and we end up our discussion.
I had a motivational speech that manage to hit the target as it was proven. I want to share with you one idea I had in the speech.
Look in your mirror
Really, look in your mirror to see yourself, through your eyes, until deep in your heart.
Prepare yourself to take a look in your mirror but not for seeing any new wrinkle or white hair, just see yourself as you are today. Stay there and simply see YOU.
Don’t be in a hurry! What do I mean by that?
Are you talking to me?
Who is the person in the mirror? Is your best friend or a stranger you are about to know better?
When was the last time you were actually seeing yourself with your strengths and weaknesses, as you are today and not years ago?
Your life is bringing you to a new start every day, you meet new people, situations and experiences that are changing you and the way you see the world around you.
Nice to meet me
Kids are growing, we are getting older wiser, and time is flying.
We are going to work, we do our best in what we do, we read, we study, we have a hobby, and we adapt our life to the needs of our job and family. But as the time pass our value is increasing!
One day I realize how changed I am, how many new things I learned in the last years from hundreds of books I read and plenty of experiences I lived. I am a different person from the one I was last time I was thinking of this.
Forget the checklist. Make an inventory. Find something new.
Up to now I had a checklist: finish school, find a job, find a partner, buy a house and a car, make kids, and find a better job, a bigger house, a new car and so on.
You had as well a checklist, I can bet. The things in my list are in any list, now we have them or not, most probably we do.
Now I am proposing you something else: make a list with all your (new) skills and strengths.
It will be hard in the beginning and you know why? Because we are used to criticize our self and to compare with others, seeing them better than us. It is easy to say “If I would have her mind”, “if I would have his ambition”, “if I would have their relations”, “If, if, if…..”
Sometimes people around look so confident and strong, having clear ideas about what they know and can do, they are decided and you are the one with no direction, scared of tomorrow.
To be even harder on you, social media is helping by whispering how many things you don’t have and you would need to be happy, smart, and confident and so on. You start comparing with a fake image and you disregard your true value.
Try to do this exercise and you may be surprise.
From checklist to dream list
Look in the mirror and see what the new skills you gained through the years are. For sure you can find something new.
Your mind and personality is modeled by your day by day life. Don’t see yourself with the same eyes you were seeing yourself years ago when you finished your school and you were searching your first job. Forget the failures and mistakes and see them as lessons. You learned the lesson? Perfect!
Try to see yourself as you are today.
Think of all the things you are good at. You must not be the best, just to be good at. And have the courage to say it loud! I am good at …… THIS!
You must ignore any signs of amusement in others, they don’t wear your shoes. They may be just ashamed, stressed, disturbed by your new attitude and so on.
Be aware of all new things you owe and you didn’t stay to gather them in a list. See how all these things, or at least some of them, can help you to have a better life in any way.
If you think you want a better life, a better job, a better tomorrow … this is the starting point.
Make your dream list! Live your dreams. Find the courage inside you.
Overpass all the whispers from your childhood about how you can fail. We talk about a new you!
Also delete any comments from the people around you saying “what is wrong with you?” or “this can never happen” or “you will be never able to do this” or “why you want to change something? Everything is just fine” or “impossible” or “why would you do this” or “others are better, you cannot reach them” and so on.
You want a secret? People are more afraid you will succeed than you will fail.
Look in the mirror and find the strength inside you! Then start the steps for a better life, one by one can take you far away ….where? … to a better job, better relation with your partner, better relation with your kids, better relation with your family, better relation with people around you, better relation with yourself and so on.
Stop criticizing and start admiring.
And like the song is saying …. You are amazing just the way you are!
Read also (click on the title) Give yourself permission
