Dearest Readers,
Well, I got through the weekend activities, which included pitching a feature film project to a number of industry big-wigs and telling a story for the Yukon International Storytelling Festival. Now comes the follow-up: giving myself a pat on the back.
This is something I am always encouraging others to do, both friends and clients alike, to actually reach up and physically pat our own back while saying, “You did a really good job. Good for you!”
I’m writing about this now because I haven’t done it yet. As we all know, doing things for ourselves is much, much more difficult.
It’s so much easier to look at what I didn’t do rather than what I did. “I skipped a whole chunk of the story,” or, “I was nervous and I didn’t say what I wanted to say to the producer guy.”
Thank goodness I have made progress in this area. Those thoughts do still come up but I now refuse to give them focus. I refuse to give them any power.
Years ago, I read about about something called mirror work, which involves looking at oneself in the mirror and saying loving, affirming things. It takes the pat on the back one step further.
This kind of work makes a lot of people uncomfortable. It sounds corny, it feels corny, and, frankly, it is corny.
But this kind of work is also extremely powerful. It cuts right to the core of that deep well of fear and self-loathing. It forces us to confront our own inner critic in the most direct way. It’s uncomfortable, I’ll admit it. And that’s why I do it.
So, friends, here I go: “You did really well, Celia. Good for you! You did your best and your best is good enough!”
Okay, the back is officially patted. Mirror, here I come.
Inspiring Message of the Day: I will give myself a pat on the back for my accomplishments. I will go to the mirror and look myself in the eye and give myself a loving affirmation. We deserve it!
