Category: .Personal Growth

Or should I say strut?  Push back those shoulders, hold your head high, and strut your stuff!  One day, when no one is looking, sway your shoulders from front to back & take a few steps. Be playful…maybe flap your arms like a chicken.

How do you feel?  More confident?  A bit silly?  Even if it brings a smile to your face, the gesture has served its purpose.  We need to invite more playfulness to our lives.

Most of the time, we’re bogged down in the minutia of life and letting it drag us down.  Stand in your greatness.  Be counted!  Allow yourself to just BE

 

 

 

 

Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn or do? Go hiking in the Swiss Alps…write a book…learn another language? What’s holding you back? What excuses do you give to NOT do it?

How about deciding that you’ll take one tiny step toward that dream? Download a free app to learn French…write a few paragraphs or outline for a book…stash away $20 in a Swiss Alps jar. Once you take that little step, it tells your mind you’re open to the possibility, and you gain momentum.

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I’m quick to anger.  I lack patience.  There’s my dark side.  I’ve gotten better with driving – not getting so worked up if someone goes too slow or cuts me off.  We all have a dark side, and we should all work on it for our own well-being as well as those around us.

The only way to bring them out into the light is to acknowledge them.  Once you’re more self-aware, you can catch yourself when that side wants to burst out.

Full disclosure…I haven’t quite mastered this skill.  I can get annoyed if I drop a pen.  It could be pent-up rage from childhood coming out, I don’t know.  I’ve been in therapy for years, and I’ve improved many things in my life, but I can’t shake this one.

What are YOUR methods of conquering your demons?  I wonder if going into a room by myself & screaming into a pillow might help…..♥

Stay tuned

Is it reasonable to doubt you can fly?  Well yes, unless you suddenly sprout wings, but why should you doubt you can soar to new heights if you’re gifted & talented in a certain area?

We all have doubts – it’s part of the human psyche – but we shouldn’t let it hold us back from doing something.  I’ve always felt I was born to write – yet I still harbor doubts and stopped writing for about 4 years.  Did I let it stop me from expressing myself with pen & paper?  No.  The desire to put myself out here has become too strong to ignore.

Continue reading “Reasonable Doubt”

Are you standing in your truth?  Do you feel comfortable in your own skin?  Are you true to who you are?  This isn’t as easy at it seems.

We all wear masks.  We may lower the veil for a select few, but that’s not standing in who we are.

My husband is a rare breed.  He is who he is.  He doesn’t alter his personality according to those around him.  Most of us can’t do that.  We’re too worried about what people may think.  Will they no longer like us if we differ in opinion?  Will they judge us if we don’t agree?

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It’s official…I’ve become my parents & grandparents…pining for the ‘old days,’ when things seemed much more innocent and carefree.  When kids could ride their bikes around the neighborhood without fear of being snatched by a stranger…when ‘big brother’ wasn’t watching our every move…when tv shows didn’t require gratuitous sex, violence, and cursing to get a message across.  By no means am I a prude…in fact, I do a lot of cursing myself…probably too much, in fact.

I’m 52, and it makes me shudder to think that the 80’s were actually three DECADES ago!  My husband and I will watch tv shows or movies from ‘back then,’ and gasp when we realize how long ago that was when it feels like the blink of an eye.  In many ways, it sucks getting old, but the one thing age brings is wisdom.  It’s something we’d scoff at when we were younger.

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Do you have someone who supports your every mood, emotion, and direction in life?  Cling to them like saran wrap!  They are your lifeline – by your side no matter what, and hard to come by.

If you’re lucky enough to have this, it’s a huge bonus in life, and important to your personal growth.  Not that we should rely on others to make us feel good, but it certainly helps.

To have the freedom to be your true self & still be loved and accepted (flaws and all!) is a wonderful way to live.  Whether it’s a spouse, sibling, friend – cherish that relationship.  Nurture it with care.

Even if it’s a friend on Facebook that you’ve never met in person, these can be strong bonds as well.  If you’re having a rough time, it’s crucial that you REACH OUT.  A shoulder to lean on can be a huge comfort.  Let it guide you through a stormy sea of turbulence.

Ahhh it’s so cozy here…familiar…safe.  Not taking chances has its benefits…no surprises…but the downside is the lack of growth as a result.  You won’t  experience the exhilaration that takes over once you’ve done something you’ve never tried before.

For years, I lived in the safety of the shadows.  I decided to teach myself how to speak Spanish.   I got to a point where I could understand it, read it, write it, but to speak it with someone filled me with fright…what if I made a mistake? I joined an online conversation exchange that put me in touch with native speakers who could help me via skype…I froze in place  It took me a while to just jump & do it… once I did, I felt at ease.  The more I did it, the more comfortable I felt, and my new friends were totally understanding and helpful!

Continue reading “The Comfort Zone”