Friday morning I was talking to a friend of mine and he was telling my a story about someone he worked for a few decades ago when he first began his career. His manager made it a habit of looking people in the eye and telling them, "You are better than you think." Now this may come off as a little weird, but the way that it was said when I heard this story was absolutely beautiful. This man made a conscious effort to affirm everyone around him. He knew that people heap abuse upon themselves, and he wanted them to stop that for a moment, and be encouraged. These are powerful, beautiful, life-giving words he spoke on a daily basis. His hope was that eventually people would start to believe him.
There is a disconnect between my heart and my brain. There always has been. There is a part of my brain that acknowledges that I am hard on myself and I beat myself up far more than I should, but my heart fails to get the message. If you are reading this, I know you do this too. It seems to be part of the human experience. A crappy part, I should add. Just stop for a moment and take inventory of your thoughts. Whether you are working on a project, or dinner, or laundry (my perpetual ongoing project), take an inventory of your thoughts. How many times do you believe that you are less than you truly are? Perhaps this is a touch easier for me because I tend to have a constant stream of chatter going on within myself. I also talk to myself to process my thoughts out loud when I need to organize an idea. I don't know how other people think and process thoughts, but this may be common to lots of people. Those things you mutter to yourself under your breath that no one else hears? You are generally speaking them to yourself. What are you saying? Perhaps you should try a few of these on for size.
You are better than you think.
You are stronger than you ever imagined.
You are beautiful.
You have been fearfully and wonderfully made, and there is no one on the planet like you.
You are amazing.
WOD
Woke up super late since I had terrible sleep last night. Missed my CF class, but I got up and did an at home mini-wod.
5 rounds
10 air squats
10 hand release push ups
10 sit ups. (for the lack of an abmat, a folded up towel in the small of your back helps you get a more full extension and engaged core)
Finished in 12:12. Not as intense as I would have liked, but my dog kept trying to sit in my lap when I was doing situps, and he wanted to snuggle by my face when I was doing pushups. He could not, however, figure out what I was doing with the air squats.
Nutrition
Breakfast: 3 eggs with salsa, coffee with H&H and Splenda.
Lunch: Bacon, avocado, and tomato and a mineral water. Not just for breakfast anymore!
Dinner: Chicken in the crock pot, this is kind of an experiment, and I genuinely have no idea how it's going to turn out. I threw a bunch of chicken in the crock pot with some dry rub and some white wine. We'll see how it turns out.
It is unbelievable to consider the power of our words and thoughts-- they become our actions. If we think and speak the best of ourselves, then your only choice is to become the best possible version of you. Now go speak some truth to yourself and others, and proclaim it boldly. Leave it in the comments so we can encourage each other!
xo,
Kendra
I love this post!! I try so, so, so hard to affirm people because I, like you, know how *I* struggle with being hard on myself and that we're all in different phases of the journey.
ReplyDeleteI do a LOT of life 'in my own head' so, yes, I try to keep close tabs on what I'm telling myself. I have come a looooong way on that, it has changed me more than I ever thought possible.
Taking from my experience and where I've walked, I try to emphasize a few things when I talk to people:
1. God can't love you more or less than He already does--and He loves you enough to have sent His son to die for you. THAT is love, and what you do or don't do can't and won't change that. EVER. (I hear the David C. version of "How He Loves" constantly. It's almost annoying, but God knows how much I need to hear that message--He loves me!!)
2. You ARE right where you need to be. Seems like we all struggle with thinking we should be a better person, should be doing something different, that wrong choices have led us somewhere God didn't intend, that He could use us more IF x,y,z....but He is sovereign and He has great plans for you! He is using you exactly as you are, exactly WHERE you are right NOW.
3. You are ineffective if you are overly busy and He wants a relationship with us, He doesn't want us DO-ing everything. God can't work in your life if you're too busy DO-ing to just BE with Him. He needs our knees more than our hands, our worship not our work (that's an Ann Voskamp quote...ish).
4. You are beautiful and unique. And skin care and cosmetics can help you look as lovely on the outside as you are on the inside :)
5. Every woman is destined to contribute something amazing to this world that only SHE can do. Do everything you can to find it. Keep asking, seeking and knocking! (I know you totally get that, Kendra!)
In the everyday, I just try to help women OWN their FanTABulousness!! Don't apologize for being amazing--own it! Live it! Pass it on. Shine your light! You embody that, K-girl! You are appreciated!
P.S. Wanna know my most-fought lie? "You are so stupid." I fight that thought every day.