Oftentimes we are encouraged to see our weaknesses, and rarely our strengths. We are habitually taught we will fail, and upon failure to tear ourselves apart in order to fix those shortcomings. So it is often hard to enjoy success, no matter how small each success might be.
Developing and even maintaining positive self-esteem may be difficult in our society today where we are told that who we are is not good enough. There are countless ads encouraging us to have better skin, better hair, better bodies, better teeth, a life filled with endless happiness if we just fixed ourselves. Everyday we are faced with countless situations where our self-esteem and self-confidence takes a sound beating.
But the next time you feel less than your beautiful self, remember SEEING you. SEEING, as defined by Martha Beck, is Self-Esteem Exit into Numinous Gorgeousness. Beck asks us to do 3 simple but weird things to help our walloped self-esteem bounce right back:
(1) Draw Upside Down: This tactic shuts down your verbal mind where all the past negativity resides, by copying a picture that you've turned upside down. After our verbal thinking has slowed down, beauty will emerge.
(2) Open your focus: by softening your eyes. Beck encourages us to read a paragraph, look up at whatever is in front of you, then without moving your eyes, allow your attention to broaden, taking in everything you see. Slowly your attention will expand to include everything you can hear, smell, feel, and taste. This also shuts off our negative thinking process, allowing us to appreciate the larger world around us.
And last, but not least. (3) Feel the rhythm of life: by doing a rhythmic activity such as dancing, swimming or whirling!
It is important for all of us to remember and celebrate our strengths and achievements. After all, "you yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection".
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