How many times do we go out of our way to help other people or give them great advice on their problems and issues because we see them beating themselves up or they feel lost? Ever hear people say, “You give the best advice!” but ever find your own emotional, mental, orspiritual compass is stuck in the Bermuda Triangle of life with the needle spinning wildly in all different directions? Also notice we tend to be our own worst critics?
Behind closed doors, we can begin to doubt ourselves and start the process of mental self-flagellation. Self-doubt tends to creep into the best of us in subtle ways. We need to really think about who we want to be.
Usually, it’s our minds that mess with our worlds. Our fears and our doubts, they all come from the head over-analyzing things, all with one purpose—to cause our hearts to question.
It’s amazing what happens when we listen to our hearts. But that also goes to not give your hearts free reign over everything.
When you start getting down on yourself, try to take a moment and listen to both your heart and your head. If there’s discordance, then you need to take a closer look. If your heart really wants something, but your head says “Run away!” then try and figure out why.
If your head says you’re no good, you aren’t wanted, and that you aren’t worthy, then try and figure out why.
Being able to look at yourself in a mirror and say, “I love me for who I am—complete with my flaws and foibles,” then that’s a step in the right direction.
Thank yourself for the things you do just for yourself, like stopping to look up at the clouds and lose yourself for just a moment as you see the white puffs drift across a light-blue sky. Thank yourself for taking a break from all the cleaning around your house you’ve been busting your ass on. Thank yourself for drinking more water than soda. Thank yourself for reading more or trying to learn a new skill.
That voice that criticizes you—that’s yourself disrespecting yourself. The critic side is always “Your not ______ enough” about your efforts. That’s where your heart is the wisest. When you feel down, it’s your heart plus gratitude plus self-respect that can bring you back up.
When your heart wants to go running after something on an impulse, that’s your heart being a little too free. The balance is being able to live in your heart with your mind’s advice.
