Our focus this week in our classes and practice was to notice 'self talk' and how to give ourselves credit. Could we focus on appreciating ourselves purposefully?

The last few weeks we have been diving into the distinction between listening to thoughts, or listening to body, or listening to breath; or even just silent witnessing.

Taking it all in without naming or conceptualizing.

If you pay attention, you can see it is easy to notice when we make a mistake or mess up. If you forget something you feel frustrated. You reproach yourself when you lose your cool and talk harshly to a loved one. You feel regret at choosing the junk food, or making excuses why you couldn’t get outside for a walk. It comes naturally to criticize ourselves.

But how many times a day do we acknowledge when we are doing well and say: You’re awesome!

We don’t!

So my challenge to my community this week was:

Can you catch the moments you are doing something amazing and pause and say...

EEEEEK! Scary right? To take that leap? To trust?

Our nervous system is designed to look for the threat. When we don’t know what is going to happen, the possibility of the unknown, it feels like we might die.

So we stop ourselves.

Just when we are going to take the risk, we hesitate.

I am grateful I took a few risks when I was young.

Like in this photo where I am falling backwards in full faith that this rope tied around my ankles would save me from plummeting to my death.

I think in our younger years we are more willing to take risks.

We are oblivious to the dangers until we get burnt and then we become more cautious.

But often these fears get in the way of us growing and learning. The way we stop ourselves from moving forward creates stagnation; blocks.

I get to see people play with this feeling all the time when they think about doing this inner work. When people know they have to go inside they panic.

What will I find?

Can I handle it?

All these questions arise.

Doubt.
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