Affirmations (rant)
Say this out loud right now. .
"I like myself"
Go ahead. I'll wait...
....
....
....
Didn't do it - did you? It astonishes - completely dumbfounded - that people have so much trouble saying good things about themselves out loud. It's frustrating. Why is this so hard? Where does it come from? Who was it that gave us this resistance? Shame on them, I say. SHAME!
I'll be the first to admit that I am from a unique batch of crazy. I have a lot (PLENTY) of not-so-desirable flaws. "Know thy self" For the most part I like to think that I recognize them, acknowledge that they exist, and make something of a conscious effort to better myself. Likewise there are people in my life that I can trust and respect who I know will tell me when I'm being a complete and total douche. Those people are important to me. I love them. A lot. Still though, those flaws, the piles of crazy that lie within, they are who make up me. It took me a while to get to this place, but I do like me. I can even say it out loud.
Why is that so hard for so many people? It's important. Believe it or not, even if you don't think it, the more you say it out loud the more you'll start believing it. I'm not looking for a conceited-full of yourself type of belief, but more of a comfort kind of thing. It's like being naked. Have you ever walked around the house naked? Bare-ass naked? Uh-mazing. There is nothing more freeing. It's usually a good call to make sure your roommates aren't home (this is experience talking, folks) but naked time is the best time of the day! To just be comfortable with yourself - in all your glory - is divine.
A while ago a good friend of mine (same crazy tree) told me that her therapist told her to start every day with affirmations. Basically - you look in the mirror and tell yourself that you like you. You say nice things about yourself - out loud - not just thinking it. I remember thinking "Wow - she's effed up! I'm glad I'm not THAT crazy." Little tip - if you ever think this to yourself - you ARE that crazy. Sooner or later you find yourself sick and alone with noone to take care of you. You're spending an entire vacation under the covers watching Law and Order: SVU and eating Sicilia's pizza all by yourself. Your pretty convinced that if you died tomorrow it'd be weeks before anyone found you. Eff the life. The world is over. Sound familiar?
....
....
At all....? I'm not crazy. Shut up.
It helps! You learn little ways to "Get your confidence on." Same friend - whenever she was sick - she'd lather her face in make-up and buy herself flowers and she always felt better. Genius. At Christmas and on my birthday I make it a point to buy myself a gift. Two reasons - 1) I can make sure I actually get something I wanted and 2) I reaffirm that I like myself. It's important! If you need to put your full-length mirror on an angle so it'll distort certain body proportions - I say do it up!
Compliments help, too. Next time you want to talk shit about someone - instead of voicing it out loud (because that IS the best part) take a minute, find something you like about a person and say that instead. It doesn't even have to be to the person you wanted to talk shit about. You have a right not to like everyone. Oh god do you have the right. It just promotes a better self image when you throw out compliments rather then snarky comments. After a while you'll only (mostly) say good things. I struggle with this one. I talk a lot of shit. Once again let us go full circle - where does it stem from? Say it with me.... POOR! SELF! IMAGE! That's right ladies and germs. Poor self image.
Question - What do you do to get your confidence on?
For the first time in my life I'm comfortable with who I am. I can go to clubs and not have anxiety attacks (...usually...). I still wont run on treadmills for fear that I'll trip and fall and everyone will see and one person will have a camera and then HELLO Youtube!... BUT these things take time. I'm not crazy. Shut up.
I guess long story short - own up to who you are, if even just to yourself, and accept that you, yes you, are beautiful. Say it. Right now. Say it out loud.
"I'm beautiful"
....
....
....
No? Urg - Maybe next time. ;-)
...and then I found five dollars...
Thanks for reading this!
Jon
"I like myself"
Go ahead. I'll wait...
....
....
....
Didn't do it - did you? It astonishes - completely dumbfounded - that people have so much trouble saying good things about themselves out loud. It's frustrating. Why is this so hard? Where does it come from? Who was it that gave us this resistance? Shame on them, I say. SHAME!
I'll be the first to admit that I am from a unique batch of crazy. I have a lot (PLENTY) of not-so-desirable flaws. "Know thy self" For the most part I like to think that I recognize them, acknowledge that they exist, and make something of a conscious effort to better myself. Likewise there are people in my life that I can trust and respect who I know will tell me when I'm being a complete and total douche. Those people are important to me. I love them. A lot. Still though, those flaws, the piles of crazy that lie within, they are who make up me. It took me a while to get to this place, but I do like me. I can even say it out loud.
Why is that so hard for so many people? It's important. Believe it or not, even if you don't think it, the more you say it out loud the more you'll start believing it. I'm not looking for a conceited-full of yourself type of belief, but more of a comfort kind of thing. It's like being naked. Have you ever walked around the house naked? Bare-ass naked? Uh-mazing. There is nothing more freeing. It's usually a good call to make sure your roommates aren't home (this is experience talking, folks) but naked time is the best time of the day! To just be comfortable with yourself - in all your glory - is divine.
A while ago a good friend of mine (same crazy tree) told me that her therapist told her to start every day with affirmations. Basically - you look in the mirror and tell yourself that you like you. You say nice things about yourself - out loud - not just thinking it. I remember thinking "Wow - she's effed up! I'm glad I'm not THAT crazy." Little tip - if you ever think this to yourself - you ARE that crazy. Sooner or later you find yourself sick and alone with noone to take care of you. You're spending an entire vacation under the covers watching Law and Order: SVU and eating Sicilia's pizza all by yourself. Your pretty convinced that if you died tomorrow it'd be weeks before anyone found you. Eff the life. The world is over. Sound familiar?
....
....
At all....? I'm not crazy. Shut up.
It helps! You learn little ways to "Get your confidence on." Same friend - whenever she was sick - she'd lather her face in make-up and buy herself flowers and she always felt better. Genius. At Christmas and on my birthday I make it a point to buy myself a gift. Two reasons - 1) I can make sure I actually get something I wanted and 2) I reaffirm that I like myself. It's important! If you need to put your full-length mirror on an angle so it'll distort certain body proportions - I say do it up!
Compliments help, too. Next time you want to talk shit about someone - instead of voicing it out loud (because that IS the best part) take a minute, find something you like about a person and say that instead. It doesn't even have to be to the person you wanted to talk shit about. You have a right not to like everyone. Oh god do you have the right. It just promotes a better self image when you throw out compliments rather then snarky comments. After a while you'll only (mostly) say good things. I struggle with this one. I talk a lot of shit. Once again let us go full circle - where does it stem from? Say it with me.... POOR! SELF! IMAGE! That's right ladies and germs. Poor self image.
Question - What do you do to get your confidence on?
For the first time in my life I'm comfortable with who I am. I can go to clubs and not have anxiety attacks (...usually...). I still wont run on treadmills for fear that I'll trip and fall and everyone will see and one person will have a camera and then HELLO Youtube!... BUT these things take time. I'm not crazy. Shut up.
I guess long story short - own up to who you are, if even just to yourself, and accept that you, yes you, are beautiful. Say it. Right now. Say it out loud.
"I'm beautiful"
....
....
....
No? Urg - Maybe next time. ;-)
...and then I found five dollars...
Thanks for reading this!
Jon