Self-Concept Thursdays!

How many of you remember being teased or bullied? Everyone was teased about something. Maybe you were in honors classes, excelled at a sport or had unique physical characteristics. It could be anything really. When people are insecure, they think that the way to build themselves up is to break someone else down. When people are pessimistic, they think that the best way to protect themselves from disappointment is to always expect it. There will always be those people you come in contact with whose criticism will bring you down and even make you question yourself: Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Maybe I’m not that special.

Today remember that no matter what anyone thinks or says, you are special and this is nothing to be shy about. Once you begin to believe in yourself , you will be able to tolerate criticsm and rejection without losing faith. Confidence and ambition are not only healthy, but they are necessary to stand up against all of the challenging people and situations that you are bound to encounter in life. Don’t dim your light for anyone, but always be willing to learn and recognize the light in others. While it may seem easier to give up and fade into the background, you are built for so much more than that and you can be an example to others of how to shine with grace.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson