Today I want to write about being who you are. You may ask, how could I not be who I am? Well that is a good question. I want to say to that question that most of us hold ourselves back from our fullest expression. I watch a very nice movie last night called Juno. Juno is 16 year old who becomes pregnant and she is ok with who she is even with the circumstances. I realize this is just a character in a movie but as far as characters go, she shows a lot of spunk just being herself. What she says and does comes from a place of being fairly comfortable in her own skin, meaning she feels ok about who she is. That “okness” is fairly unique as most of us carry too many internal critical thoughts about ourselves.
The world we grew up in shapes our sense of self and it there was criticism and a lack of emotional support then we are now adults who are hard on ourselves and most likely too numb to our feelings. With negative self-talk and a lack of awareness or acceptance of our emotions, we will tend to be less able to feel joy and love in our lives.
I have written often in my past blogs about self-talk. I invite you to go exploring and see which ones you find helpful. The basic of self-talk is that when your inner dialogue is critical and not supportive then you don’t feel ok about who you are. The goal here is to shrink the inner critic and replace it with a kind and caring inner voice. The best way to do that is to pay attention to your inner talk and keep replacing the self-limiting words with ones that are compassionate and lift you up.
As far as feeling go, there is a few simple rules: all feeling are ok; you are encouraged to quit judging your feelings and instead accept them and pay attention to what they are telling you; feeling are great messengers about if you are on track or off; all feeling come and go on their own, so notice what you are feeling and soon it will pass, that is true with the pleasant ones and the difficult one; and feelings make your life worth living.
Do you know how you feel? Almost constantly you and I are feeling something but too often we ignore or forget to pay attention to what is going on inside. The body is alive with feelings and if you notice you will see that those feelings are a gift.
Check out this feeling list and if you want, print it out and carry it with you. The more you know your feeling the more you will create the life you desire.
AFFECTIONATE
compassionate
friendly
loving
open hearted
sympathetic
tender
warm
CONFIDENT
empowered
open
proud
safe
secure
ENGAGED
absorbed
alert
curious
engrossed
enchanted
entranced
fascinated
interested
intrigued
involved
spellbound
stimulated
INSPIRED
amazed
awed
wonder
EXCITED
amazed
animated
ardent
aroused
astonished
dazzled
eager
energetic
enthusiastic
giddy
invigorated
lively
passionate
surprised
vibrant
EXHILARATED
blissful
ecstatic
elated
enthralled
exuberant
radiant
rapturous
thrilled
GRATEFUL
appreciative
moved
thankful
touched
HOPEFUL
expectant
encouraged
optimistic
JOYFUL
amused
delighted
glad
happy
jubilant
pleased
tickled
PEACEFUL
calm
clear headed
comfortable
centered
content
equanimous
fulfilled
mellow
quiet
relaxed
relieved
satisfied
serene
still
tranquil
trusting
REFRESHED
enlivened
rejuvenated
renewed
rested
restored
revived
AFRAID
apprehensive
dread
foreboding
frightened
mistrustful
panicked
petrified
scared
suspicious
terrified
wary
worried
ANNOYED
aggravated
dismayed
disgruntled
displeased
exasperated
frustrated
impatient
irritated
irked
ANGRY
enraged
furious
incensed
indignant
irate
livid
outraged
resentful
AVERSION
animosity
appalled
contempt
disgusted
dislike
hate
horrified
hostile
repulsed
CONFUSED
ambivalent
baffled
bewildered
dazed
hesitant
lost
mystified
perplexed
puzzled
torn
DISCONNECTED
alienated
aloof
apathetic
bored
cold
detached
distant
distracted
indifferent
numb
removed
uninterested
withdrawn
DISQUIET
agitated
alarmed
discombobulated
disconcerted
disturbed
perturbed
rattled
restless
shocked
startled
surprised
troubled
turbulent
turmoil
uncomfortable
uneasy
unnerved
unsettled
upset
EMBARRASSED
ashamed
chagrined
flustered
guilty
mortified
self-conscious
FATIGUE
beat
burnt out
depleted
exhausted
lethargic
listless
sleepy
tired
weary
worn out
PAIN
agony
anguished
bereaved
devastated
grief
heartbroken
hurt
lonely
miserable
regretful
remorseful
SAD
depressed
dejected
despair
despondent
disappointed
discouraged
disheartened
forlorn
gloomy
heavy hearted
hopeless
melancholy
unhappy
wretched
TENSE
anxious
cranky
distressed
distraught
edgy
fidgety
frazzled
irritable
jittery
nervous
overwhelmed
restless
stressed out
VULNERABLE
fragile
guarded
helpless
insecure
leery
reserved
sensitive
shaky
YEARNING
envious
jealous
longing
nostalgic
pining
wistful
Have a good weekend and allow yourself to feel all that you are.