Your Awesome Pep Talk:
Ever tell yourself that it’s not ok to be good at something? You waste time wondering how it will make others feel, worrying that you will not be accepted, assuming that your awesomeness is not worthy? What IS that anyways!?
I’ll tell you what it is….it’s a big and very OLD load of BS.
Allowing our bright selves to shine is part of what we are meant to do on this planet. If we shield and hide our strengths, they will benefit no one, not even our awesome selves. It is impossible to honour our strengths by crushing our awesomeness with insecurities and hesitation.
Why do we do that? Well, for one, we have been taught to do so. Society often dictates that we should go along with the majority, get in line, and do as we’re told…snuff out our light if it is brighter than our neighbours. Another reason is that in order to put our strengths out there, we need to be vulnerable. Allowing oneself to be vulnerable takes a lot of courage and a deep dip into our inner selves. This can be extremely tough!
So what are we to do?
Most importantly, awesomeness (if no one’s told you yet) is our given right. The minute we set foot on this earth is the minute we have liberty to share our bright lights. That being said, it is notable that the truly awesome-est of the awesomes know how to spread around their awesome possum while retaining humility and respect. They do this through compassion.
And So…
My Dear Brave, Shiny Stars,
Unleash your awesomeness and get behind it in a way that inspires others to let loose their very own awesome possum too.
3 Steps for Unleashing Your Awesome
Identify your strengths: Write down at least 3 things that you are good at. Don’t think about this too much; just write down what comes easily. Ex: listening, singing, story telling, walking, making pizza, caring for animals, reading, etc.
Do one regularly: Sit back and ask yourself which of these things you already practice regularly and which of them you do not. Pick one you already do regularly and do more of it for 2 weeks, if only an extra 10 minutes. Set aside your list (or better yet, tape it up somewhere you can see it – beside your bed, inside your coffee cupboard, etc).
Explore underused strength: After 2 weeks, look back to your list and pick one strength that has been neglected. Make a little time for it in the following 4 weeks. Start small: find 10 minutes for it and schedule it into your calendar. After a week, increase it to 20 minutes, then 30 etc. Examples: Listening: set 10 minutes aside to make a call to a friend that’s having a rough time; Singing: turn up your favourite tunes and sing along while you clean the house; Story Telling: write freely or journal without knowing where the story is going, just write.
You know you are awesome, really you do.