It is nice to look back in life and pick out the highlights and accomplishments of our lives, to give ourselves a nice pat on the back and boost our self-esteem. It is a useful tool to help us realise that we have within us these abilities and skills that can motivate us to move forward and reach up and create more highlights and achieve more. However, if we root ourselves in what we have done and define ourselves in the past, this can be problematic. It can lead us to rest on our laurels, talk ourselves into believing that we are have-beens, that this could be all we could ever achieve, perhaps we were lucky and now our luck or inspiration or motivation has somehow run out.
Similarly, looking forward and dreaming of what could be can help us to orientate our lives and realise where our priorities need to lie and that there is an infinite realm of wonderful, possible new opportunities that we could potentially seize. But if we fixate on this we are only living in fantasy and acting as if we are more than we are. In reality none of this has happened. Perhaps, it will. Perhaps, it has in another parallel universe. But we don't know this and it is not beneficial to anyone to inflate our own egos to the dreamland extreme.
The alternative can only be to define ourselves in our daily actions, in the present. Who are you being right now? Are you happy with yourself and how you are behaving and treating others and yourself in this moment? Could there be something more you could do to ensure that right now you are more of who you want to be? Can you find the space within you to accept whoever you are right now and stop fixating on the past and the future? Can you take one step forward in the right direction to your higher self right now?
It is a challenge to address ourselves in the present. Mainly because we won't necessarily like what we are confronted with, we can always find fault with ourselves. But can you find something you like about how you are right now? And if not can you create, do something that will make you appreciate and respect yourself more in the present?
Often times we can get caught up in the busyness of life and forget ourselves. We need to look within and become aware of ourselves and how we are behaving from a moment to moment basis. A good practice to become more self aware (a technique taught by Brendon Burchard), is to just take a few cues in our environment like anytime someone says our name, or anytime we change activity to trigger the question, 'who am I being right now, am I pleased with my actions, how could I be better and more aligned with my highest self?'
With this refrain being repeated we will come closer to our highest selves everyday and in turn create more self acceptance, respect and compassion for ourselves that is grounded in truth and the present
I hope you find more awareness in your own lives and find compassion for yourself to help you be who you want to be today.
Love and light
Naomi Leila
xxx
