The Navigator

Posts Tagged ‘insecurities’

Here is an article I published in one of my newsletters a while back that I got so much positive feedback on, I wanted to share it again.

I am Powerful Article

There is nothing as incredible as feeling powerful and in control of your own life!  However, you are not alone if you have ever felt like you give your power away to others and you don’t know what to do about it.
Here are some signs you may be giving away your power to others:
•    You doubt yourself.
•    You try to make everyone else happy.
•    You go along with others to avoid making waves.
•    You look for approval from others instead of from within.
•    You buy into other people’s drama.
•    You allow yourself to be intimidated.
•    You have poor boundaries.
Any of this sound familiar to you?  It does to me.  I doubt myself.  I look for approval from others.  So why do I do this?  There are many reasons we give our power away.  It might be a habit.  It might be the way we were raised.  We might be afraid of confrontation.  Maybe it feels good in the moment to take care of someone.  What happens when we focus only on that one little moment in time instead of considering the long term impact?
Each time we give our power away, we sell a little bit of our soul.  Over time this adds up.  Even if it feels good in that moment, the price is quite  high.    The good news is we can learn to be powerful, to be in control of our life.   Here are some suggestions:
•    Remember to breathe.
•    Practice staying in your own energy, space, etc.
•    Learn to say “no” and mean it.
•    See yourself as a whole being, with all the right answers.
•    Use your anger wisely and stand up for yourself.  Anger isn’t always bad – just use it wisely.
•    Ask for what you want and need.
•    Realize that other people have their own path and you are not responsible for them.
•    Remember that someone else’s behavior almost never has anything to do with you.  Practice just observing it without any attachments.
When we choose to live our life from a place of strength and trust, when we are living authentically it means we have the courage to show up as our true self.  It doesn’t mean being rude or inconsiderate.  It does mean speaking our truth and believing in who we are at our very core.

Today I choose to be my authentic self.  Today I will not apologize for that.  Today I choose to be powerful and it feels really great!

Today I hope you’ll choose to be your authentic self.  Today I hope you will not apologize for it.  Today I hope you will choose to be powerful and it will feel really great!

How do you show up every day – as the real you or someone else?  Take the quiz below and see how happy you are with your “real self”.   Just check the statements that apply to you and then total them up  when you’re done!

_____  I am happy with who I am, I don’t concern myself with what others think.
_____  I accept my flaws, with gratitude.
_____  I use my strengths and surround myself with others who are great at things I’m not.
_____  I feel like my life is easy, fun, and a genuine expression of who I really am.
_____  I don’t have to impress anyone but me.
_____  I take care of my body, and I’m generally happy with the way I look.
_____  I am able to see the greatness that I already have, but I’m not trying to impress everyone with it.
_____  I use simple English instead of trying to impress people with my vocabulary.
_____  I see things as they are, not through someone else’s opinion.
_____  I have let go of wanting myself to be a certain way. I like who I am.
_____  I am beautiful/handsome.
_____  I always tell the truth.
_____  I have let go of wanting other people to be or act a certain way.
_____  I am living my life, not the life that someone else designed for me or expected of me.
_____  I don’t have any habits that I try to hide from other people.
_____  I am not perfect, and that’s ok.
_____  I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not, just to suit other people.
_____  There is nothing about my life that I am ashamed of.
_____  I respect other’s rules and beliefs, even if they seem unusual or confusing to me.
_____  My actions match my words, For example, I don’t condemn a musician for his lyrics, then go buy his  CDs.
_____  I am my own best friend.
_____  I am able to laugh at life.
_____  I cooperate with life; I don’t fight what’s been given to me.
_____  I am fully responsible for how my weaknesses may affect me, my life, and those around me.
_____  I have fully accepted both my talents and my faults.

Results 
0-5: You only get one chance at life.  Make the most of it.  How can you be more true to yourself? 

5-10: What if “being authentic” was more a part of your life?  How would your life be different? 

11-15: Not too shabby!  This is a great start and what you can you shift in your life to be more accepting of who you really are? 

16-20: Great!  You’re doing a wonderful job of being yourself.  Sometimes this may be less comfortable for you.  Overall, though, you’re doing well.

21-25: Fabulous!  You are definitely comfortable with yourself and you know how important this is for others around you.  Congratulations!

Are you ready to be your authentic self?  Are you ready to show the world who you really are?  Life will be so much easier, more fun because it becomes an expression of who you are.  So what’s holding you back?  If you are ready, try setting goals for yourself to allow your real feelings and desires to emerge.  You can do it!

Source Unknown

We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. – Anais Nin.

For me, this rings so true. I know whenever my insecurities get the best of me, this is why. I often make up stories based on how I’m feeling about something and it rarely serves me in a positive way other than to remind me of my work that still needs to be done.

What are your thoughts on this?