Imagine how different your day or life might be if everyone you met saw your full potential and inspired and encouraged you to fulfill that potential instead of measuring you against some standard they held in their mind.
Michelangelo has been quoted to say that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one only needs to remove the excess material to reveal the work of art inside. I feel this is true, not only with art, but with people and all of life.
I think it is pointless and even harmful to compare one child to another or one adult to another, and yet many of us learned to approach life in this way. Instead of constantly measuring others, I suggest we learn to refocus our mind so we can see the hidden gifts that lie hidden in every person we meet.
In our first six years of life we take on and internalize the beliefs and perceptions of our parents, siblings and peers. If these beliefs and perceptions are not supportive of who we are they become like a veil of stone, hiding our true being. This stone can weigh us down and encumber us in a manner that makes it difficult for us to learn, grow and reach our full potential.
Even though many of us acquired inaccurate beliefs about life and ourselves in our formative years, our life now does not have to be a reflection of those beliefs. Instead it can be a celebration of our authentic nature and, our potential. This requires us to shift our perceptions, and then the responses and habits that flow out of those perceptions.
I invite you to take a moment and think about how differently you respond when you feel seen, valued and loved. When this happens, no one needs to tell you to focus or apply yourself because you are filled with so much energy and joy. When we feel that way we want to be our best and accomplish more.
Approaching life in this way is very much like training a puppy. Puppies thrive with approval and praise. They also become frighten and distrusting of humans when they are disciplined with force or harshness or are expected to accomplish more then they are developmentally ready. You might not see the consequences of those inappropriate expectations or that harshness until the dog is an adult. It might exhibit itself as fearful, destructive or aggressive behavior. Then trying to change that outward behavior becomes an ongoing struggle because the root of the problem is hidden much deeper.
The smart puppy owner looks for moments—as many as possible—to tell their pup how great they are. I had one woman tell me her dog trainer had suggested she reward her pup whenever he wasn’t doing something bad. He didn’t have to be doing a great trick or responding to a command, he just had to NOT be doing something she didn’t want him to do. The approach worked miracles! He has grown into a dog that loves people and is comfortable being part of a human pack.
We are not that different. We all need to be seen, valued and love—just like a puppy. This also means we need to grow and develop at our own rate instead of being pushed, or made wrong. If we aren’t, we can find ourselves trapped in the stone. This situation can create confusion, self-doubt, and hinder our ability to reach our full potential.
So I invite you to take the time to shift your perceptions from seeing what is wrong to seeing what is right. Look for the beauty and potential hidden in every man, woman and child you meet. If you can, then every exchange, no matter how small, will help both of you chip away any barriers that block your ability to fulfill our full potential and enjoy life fully like a pup again.
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Recent Interviews:
Science of Life:
On June 20th Nancy Marie was interviewed on Science for Life radio show by Doug Parks.
Here is the link for the archived interview: http://www.scienceforlife.net/
(Scroll down to the on-demand archives.)
Everyday Attraction:
On July 20th Nancy Marie was interviewed by Rae Zander on the Everyday Attraction show. Here is the link: http://www.unity.fm/program/EverydayAttraction
(Scroll down to the on-demand archives.)
I Create What I Believe! Deluxe Teacher’s Edition Kit: After two years and many hours of hard work the ICWIB Deluxe Teacher’s Edition kit is finally done! If you are interested in seeing the new kit, or purchasing one you can view the new ICWIB Deluxe Teacher’s Edition kit (https://icreatewhatibelieve.com/icwibprokit.html) on the website: www.ICreateWhatIBelieve.com
For more information about the new kit or the I Create What I Believe! program, contact Nancy Marie at 530-926-0365 or info@innereyepublishing.com