body in a certain way will become a habit. It will become effortless, because our brain has changed. And as we keep up our effortless new habit, the wiring of âIâm not enoughâ will begin to disconnect and dissipate.
Simply through holding our body in a certain way, we can actually wire a neurological state and emotional feeling into our brain and body.
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SELF-LOVE GYM: Your âI Am Enoughâ Pose
OK, so I want you to practise this. Brain changes occur on account of consistent practice, not through trying something out once, thinking, Oh good, I know how to do that now , and then doing nothing more about it (which is what a lot of people do).
Play around with your posture, breathing and facial expressions until you get a sense of what would say âI am enoughâ for you. It might simply be the Wonder Woman pose. Or it might just be a relaxed posture with an erect spine, loose shoulders and hands by your sides. Find the posture thatâs right for you.
Also, play around with the way you speak. Let âI am enoughâ be reflected in your vocal tone and the rate and control of your speech.
Test it out walking, too. A good way to do this is to take an empowering affirmation and literally wear it! For example, the first time I did this was after a situation with an aggressive person. The affirmation I created was â Today I love myself more than Iâve ever done before. I have only positive interactions with people and I carry myself with confidence and pride. â I wore that affirmation all over my body as I walked. I let it diffuse through my face, my shoulders and my breath. The effect was huge and it happened very quickly! An affirmation does become much stronger when your posture helps wire its meaning into your brain.
Once youâve got your body posture sorted, hereâs what to do next:
Pay attention to your body language over the next few days and practise changing how you feel by changing your body: how you walk, stand, sit, breathe; what you do with your head, shoulders, chest, etc. The more you try it, the easier itâll become and the faster itâll work.
Practise your âI am enoughâ pose as often as you can.
Choose a specific situation where you typically show low self-worth. For example, do you feel self-conscious in some social or professional situations? Do you act submissively around certain people, effectively giving your personal power away? Whatever the situation, do your âI am enoughâ pose before you enter it and then enter it walking and talking in âI am enoughâ mode. Notice how you feel. Make a note of any differences from the usual outcome.
Any time you feel youâre not enough, shift into your âI am enoughâ pose. The more you practise it, the better youâll get at it. This is because each time youâre wiring âI am enoughâ more deeply into your brain networks.
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Love Thy Selfie
Taking âselfiesâ â a photo of yourself taken by yourself while holding a camera â is a bit of a craze these days. Iâve taken quite a few myself. Itâs fun. Each time I put on a big smile. It always looks as though Iâm having a great time. When we take selfies we all go into âautoposeâ, an automatic smile or gesture that gives the impression that weâre having the time of our life. But are we?
As you know, Iâm a firm believer in âfake it âtil you make itâ, but the faking has to be done with intent . It has to be a full-on conscious pretend, performed with the awareness that pretending with intent can actually bring about the feelings you want.
But itâs also OK to have a bad day and not feel under pressure to do your âI am enoughâ pose. Itâs OK to feel a little sad. Sometimes itâs needed and can lead you to an insight about something thatâs causing some pain in your life. Sometimes, it can lead you to nurturing
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