Not under the influence of alcohol and drugs, but under the influence of others, worrying what other people will think if you do this or laugh at that or say this or wear that?
We build an imaginary life where people reject us and belittle us or humiliate us if we don’t meet expectations. We live out these scenes in our mind complete with the feelings of shame and inadequacy that cause our bodies to release the same stress hormones that it would if we were actually living through it.
If you step back for just a minute and ask yourself, ” If someone were to terrorize someone I love by putting them through that kind of emotional torture would that be okay?” The answer is emphatically, ” Of course not!” That is the kind of bullying and abuse that, if someone else were to impose it on you, could even be considered criminal, but we do it to ourselves on a daily basis.
So how do we stop? How do we cut the strings of imagined expectations and start living joyfully?
We can start by accepting ourselves in this moment. By beginning to treat ourselves gently. By giving ourselves the same kind of love and care we would give a beloved child. By seeing our imperfections without judgment. By allowing ourselves to just be. Instead of imagining what may come, embracing life as it is, one step, one moment at a time.
What are some of the things you do to live your life authentically, to live in the moment and to embrace your imperfections with acceptance and love? I would love to hear them!
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