This past weekend I was at a retreat where the participants were, in my view, smarter and more talented, prettier, younger, hipper more in the know, i.e. just generally better than I am. Upon returning home I found myself tangled up in something I am calling, ?I'm-ing? as in ?I'm too fat to wear those jeans? or ?I'm lousy at making pancakes?.
As it happens this is very inauthentic. It is also annoying. Oh and by the way, it sends a message to the universe that you don't think very highly or yourself and because of your message you will get more of the same.
What I discovered was this:I had to get over myself and quit the whining.I also took a look at what was going on. FAST.
Staying stuck in an ?I'm? is a way of avoiding life. It offers the I'm-er a way of excusing not being a participant in creating one's own destiny. ?I'ming? is for victims of life's ups and downs. So if you are ready to give it up?here's some typical ?I'ms? and the juice they give you.
Being stuck in an ?I'm? frequently means you are not living in the present moment, rather you are allowing your itty bitty sh*tty committee to take over and bring you down.
Five Typical ?I'ms? and what they do to keep you stuck
1. ?I'm not too good at??fill in the blank" math, spelling, reading,languages. Here you label yourself inept and you have a built in reason for avoiding tackling something difficult.
2. ?I'm lousy at some skill such as cooking, sports, drawing, acting.? The translation here is, ?well it's just my nature.? This reinforces and justifies inertia. This one says that if you can't be an Olympic champion, have a work of art that hangs in the Louvre or win an Oscar for your acting prowess then, why bother?
3. ?I'm shy, temperamental, nervous, afraid?? This is very good. It is a behavior we got labelled with probably in childhood and so, as adults have decided to stay with the storyline to avoid being assertive or live up to our true potentials. With this ?I'm? as your definer you can excuse all kinds of self-limiting ways of being since they are out of your control.
4.?I'm clumsy, uncoordinated?.? This ?I'm? is a way of avoiding potential ridicule. It stops us before we get started. There is no way to try any kind of physical endeavor. Once a client told me she hated exercise because she was clumsy as a child, her mother said so and it became her life's storyline.
5. ?I'm disorganized, overly neat, perfectionistic, irresponsible, forgetful?? Especially useful when you want to justify some ineffective behavior. This defeatist way of being helps you to avoid life.
So how do you get over yourself? First bring yourself to the present moment. Here's how: Take 3 slow, deep breaths through your NOSE and pay attention to where you are right here right now. You may notice that you relax when you breathe that way Become present to the number of times during the day you think or say out loud ?I'm this or that??
In that moment take your three deep breaths through the nose, reframe and begin again with a positive message. I am so grateful for... might be a good place to start.
Write yourself a weekly affirmation and post it where you will remember to say it aloud often. The bathroom mirror and in the kitchen are two good places along with your PDA and computer desktop. An affirmation can be a simple yet powerful way of breaking the ?I'm? habit and getting over yourself. Here's one to get you started, ?I deserve to be (fill in the blank, wealthy, happy,fulfilled) and say it each day, several times a day with joy and gusto.
Now go ahead, get over yourself and get on with it.
When one of us decides to pursue the study of Yoga, we find ourselves living and learning Yoga every day. On or off the mat, Yoga students can apply their practice to the many lessons life has to offer. The result of all this learning, and applying Yogic principles to life, is a major leap in self-improvement.
You can learn from your past, live the present moment in harmony, and plan your future, with an improved perspective of each. Past, present, and future are valuable, but each is important in a different way.
Let's first address the past. Many people are "prisoners" to their past. When you look at past lessons, mistakes, and set-backs, each is as valuable as any form of higher education. This becomes life experience, and you should make the most of any form of education; otherwise you are wasting your life experiences, twice - first by learning them, and then later by regretting, blaming, and second guessing yourself. On top of this, you can create poor mental, physical, and spiritual health.
This is the exact opposite from what you are taught in a Yoga class. Yoga teaches you to unify these components of health, and this will enable you to improve your entire being. Put past worries, adversity, and pains behind you.
You can save them in a "mental file," much like a valuable book. This teaches you not to repeat the same mistake twice. Remember that the past is filled with accomplishments, too. If you can read these words, you must be accomplishing quite a bit.
Be fair with yourself and try not to be so critical. Let go of guilt and forgive yourself for being human. If you start to sink into deep dark past regrets, practice pranayama; breath awareness is the key to bringing you into the present.
This is much similar to what you might do when holding an asana for an extended time during your Yoga practice. This will also allow you to focus on the most important time of all - the present moment.
The present is the time for action, and you must be proactive in order to succeed in life. Good reactions will save your life, but proactive behavior requires planning, innovation, vision, and perseverance. You must focus on the present to see opportunities which are right in front of you.
Life is filled with many obstacles and you have to be ready for the daily challenge. You cannot change the past, but you can change the present and future. Every successful person has faced criticism, failure, and self-doubt.
When you let negative thoughts into your heart and mind, you cannot think clearly. You cannot act now, and this affects your ability to plan for the future. How can you visualize success, if you are letting fear and self-doubt control your life?
Fill your mind with passion that motivates you to step forward and plan your future. When you meditate, take the time to visualize your success, achievements, and goals as vividly as possible. When you practice meditation and Yoga in this way, you will find yourself enjoying life, helping others, and on your path to success.
Both Nancy Mindes & Jackie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Nancy Mindes has sinced written about articles on various topics from Beauty Tips. Nancy Mindes is a trained professional Attraction Coach who has helped hundreds of clients since 2000.She works with women who want to be audacious and bold, live rich, play big and do good.. Nancy Mindes's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.
Jackie has sinced written about articles on various topics from Yoga Practice, Anger Control and Yoga Practice. Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga t. Jackie's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.