What Do You See When the Reflection in the Mirror Stares Back at You?

When your eyes peer at the reflection in the mirror—who stares back at you? A person with core beliefs that are so grounded you know exactly who you are? Where you fit in? What you value? What makes you feel comfortable? What makes you feel inspired?

Or do you focus on the pimple, the gray hair, the crow’s feet, the yellow-stained teeth, the mole, the visceral fat, or the thighs that touch?

Who are you and what beliefs do you have about yourself? Can you answer this question with honesty?

Many times, how others see you and how you see yourself differ. Often the image portrayed to others is not who you really are but who you feel you are required to be depending on the audience. If the way you feel about your core beliefs does not ‘fit’ into the society around you, then you will feel as though you need to ‘change’ who you are to avoid isolation.

I get it, sometimes you need to change who you are for the sake of civility. But sometimes you change who you are due to your self-limiting beliefs. And many times, those beliefs are ‘I’m not good enough,’ ‘I am not as good as them’ and ‘I will be judged.’ These beliefs do not necessarily appear in your mind that way. They show up as low self-esteem, jealousy, envy, shame, anxiety and fear and your feelings are often reflected in your behavior; unbeknownst to you.

The things you absorb and are exposed to can touch your soul in such a way that makes you question ‘am I good enough,’ ‘am I as good as them,’ ‘will I be judged.’

Social media

Magazines

Work

The gym

Sports

TV

Etc...etc...etc...

These self-limiting beliefs will erode your self-esteem and hold you back in life. More importantly they are emphatically NOT TRUE

Am I good enough-YES you are. For every person, relationship, opportunity or otherwise.

Am I as good as them-ABSOLUTELY but you are unique, as we all are. We are all different and each of us have positive attributes.

Will I be judged-probably! But who gives a shit? The judgers should focus on their own existence instead of finding faults in others. And most of the time the judgers are not really thinking about you because the same beliefs ring true for them, and they are dealing with it just as you are.

Keep in mind that these self-limiting beliefs that reside in your mind occupy too much mental space. And what I mean is that any belief that evokes negative emotions about who you fundamentally are—takes too much mental space and too much energy.

What if you used that same magnitude of mental space and energy to create a new belief?

A belief that supports your unrealized potential. Unrealized only because the limiting beliefs have been hounding your mind. Try it! The next time you feel less than, jealous, envy, shame, fear—take note! Redirect those thoughts and find an attribute you admire in yourself and then STRENGTHEN it. Once you redirect your thoughts and focus on your strengths and uniqueness it will help you develop a sense of pride and will nurture your well-being. And the plus side--your self-esteem will increase.

Nothing is too small here when it comes to strengths so, please do not downplay your abilities. I read a story about a guy that crocheted hats as a hobby, and he was so good that he quit his day job and pursued his true passion. He sought an opportunity based on his strength. The same holds true for YOU!

Give voice to your thoughts below!