Surrounded by successful, intelligent, entrepreneurial, fit, healthy and radiant women at a recent wellness personal development day, I was utterly gob-smacked to learn that every single one of these women, (including myself) talk to themselves in a way that they would NEVER talk to anyone else. EVER.

The theme of the day was “connecting with our higher selves “– the on-purpose, easy, happy and on-a-roll self that exists when we aren’t held back by comparison, doubt, fear or lack of self-belief.

Each one of the women in the room, in my eyes, was so inspiring, both in what they are doing in the wellness space, as well as the kindness, selflessness and humility that they show whilst still running around building wellbeing empires (!) and helping others to be less stressed, eat better, move more freely, love more fully and find the best versions of themselves. Despite this, there was the underlying theme that we all have this deep-seated notion that we aren’t good enough, pretty enough, knowledgeable enough, loveable enough – even the most “beautiful” and “successful’ of the women in the group expressed feeling this way; – and perhaps ironically, even more so. The more in the public eye, the less “enough” these women seemed to feel.

So apparently it is human to feel this way – but it doesn’t mean that we have to accept that this is the way we are – we can armor ourselves, rewire our thinking by being aware of when it shows up, the negative impact it has on what we are trying to do in our lives, and finding a reason, a mantra, an example, or a picture that reminds us otherwise. After all – we are born absolutely enough, in fact in divine perfection, which I can absolutely attest to with the recent birth of my first son. He has nothing to do but smile, sleep, eat, play, and sleep some more, to be utter perfection, “enough-ness” in its essence– and there is nothing particular that he has to do be this; he just is. We all started out this way, but somewhere along the way we, and society, placed conditions on our success, happiness, and all of the building blocks which point to us being worthy, enough, and utterly lovable.

What I took away from the day was that outer beauty or success as viewed by someone else, or even everyone else, cannot make us “enough” in our own eyes. We need to be “enough” first, then go about doing what we do, so that what we do isn’t filled up, bolstered, splintered by our external success, but by the knowingness that we are already enough, and that we can do our best work, make the most difference in others lives, when we come from that steadfast, confident, tender place of self-appreciation first, not from lack, or comparison. This is the absence of being perfect, absence of comparison to others and (perhaps even to our former or “future” selves) and the presence of owning our imperfections; it’s the remembering that we started out enough, and that we actually never, ever, ever, stopped being enough, just as we are.

 

Here are some tips to reclaiming your enough-ness, your personal power, that happy, on-a-roll confidence that we all innately have, we just sometimes need to dust off a few other layers to uncover it. And when we do, we can be the example for our families, friends, colleagues, and community to “be enough” and not let the alternative undertone pull us away from doing what we truly want and deserve.

 

• Write “I AM ENOUGH’ on your mirror, set a phone alarm to go off multiple times a day
• Practice mindful movement – whether its being aware of the way you move when you make your bed in the morning, when you walk, or practice yoga
• Meditate – try a guided meditation like the ”gentle breath meditation” by Serge Benhayon on unimedliving.com.au
• Find a positive mantra or thought to replace the habit thought that reminds you of your enough-ness when you are triggered to feeling small or less than your amazing self.
• Write a list of the things you know you can achieve, and the way you are with others when you are in your state of “enough.” The latter should be enough of a reminder – when we are enough, we set the standard for others to be enough, and believe in themselves – and who wouldn’t want to do that!?

 

YOU ARE ENOUGH!

 

Article by Rosie McCaughey

Rosie McCaughey is the Director of Rise Yoga in Richmond, whose mission and vision it is to promote positive body image and self-worth through yoga. She donates $1 from every students visit, every time to the Butterfly Foundation, Australia’s national eating disorder foundation, She is a qualified sports Physiotherapist, Yoga teacher, Clinical pilates teacher and massage therapist.

W: riseyoga.com.au

I: @riseyogarichmond

F: facebook.com/RiseYogaRichmond