Are You Afraid to Shine?

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were all meant to shine, as children do.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
~ Marianne Williamson

So many of us have a secret fear buried inside of us that says "If you judge me by what you see on the outside, you'd only see part of the picture. If you only knew what I really thought about myself........" There are a lot of different ways to end that sentence. I'm guessing that some of you finished it yourselves; am I right? Are you one of the many who are afraid to shine?

Depending on how you answer that question, you may (or may not) be hiding your own light. Are you doing things that keep you in-place, too small, unchallenged, misdirected? That would be self-sabotaging, however gently or harshly you create it.

Would you like to have some new strategies to get past your stuck spot? How would you like to learn to live a life filled with appreciation for who you truly are and what wonderful opportunities there are surrounding you and not be afraid to shine?

Be a 360° Swivel Head! Become totally aware of what's around you. Check out how the game's being played where you are. Mentally prepare yourself to play the game as you see it being played. And be sure your mindset is a match for where you are so you can bloom and grow there.

Do a Mental Inventory of Yourself. Do your current behaviors foster growth in the direction you want to proceed? If you're eating snack foods, does that foster weight loss if that is your goal? Ask yourself what feeling you are experiencing right before you reach for that treat. What is the earliest time you can remember feeling that feeling? Is there something unresolved from that earlier time? What new decision would you like to make about it now?

It's a Trigger Not a Source. If you can find those early emotions (read that as unresolved earlier emotions) you have found the triggering behavior rooted in your early experiences. It once served you. It's still serving you, but now its service is to point you to something that needs cleaning up so you can meet your goals. Tip: this trigger emotion generally causes a bodily feeling, like a twisted stomach, or throat muscles clamping shut. If you see that happening, it's a signal that you've been triggered.

How Much Are You Willing to Pay? If you don't change, it's going to cost you. What's it costing you right now by being afraid to shine? How much in a month? A year? Are you willing to continue to pay through the nose and drag this mistaken sense along? Remember, to change your sense about something that may have traumatized you from childhood is easily done. You just have to look for another good reason why it may have occurred and let go of your childish sense.

Getting Back on Track. Could you make a list of a few things you'd rather be doing, rather be feeling, than that trigger emotion? Is there someone in your life who could help you stay on track, help you move closer to the successes you desire?

Promise Yourself You Will..... not allow your dream to be sabotaged by you. There will always be parties to get you off your diet. There will always be deadlines to keep you from your dream. There will always be excuses - oh those deadly excuses - that you will find reasonable to divert yourself and take your eyes of the goal you say you want. Be committed. Be strong. Start over daily if you must. Stay focused. You can. I know you can! And don't be afraid to shine!