Weekly: Look within
Growing up, many of us learned that there were only two ways to look at ourselves, both at extreme ends of the spectrum.
"I'm worthless!" — looking at ourselves with extreme self-criticism, self-blame, and shame.
"I'm the best!" — bolstering our egos to feel better about ourselves (often as a natural response to the first way of looking, of needing to find a way to feel worthy.)
This is a cognitive distortion that negatively affects our well-being, relationships, and ability to grow. We can all learn to look within and discover who we really are, doing so in a healthy, balanced way. That’s what we’re exploring in today’s newsletter.
Have a great weekend,
Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy
This Week
The key to looking within and developing greater self-awareness? Looking at ourselves with a combination of love and wisdom.
You can both:
1) Love and accept yourself exactly as you are, and,
2) Notice your thoughts, emotions, behavior, history, parts, and goals, and reflect upon them with wisdom.
Here are three questions that can help you to practice loving-wise self-awareness:
Looking at my behaviors today, did I do anything that didn't feel like 'me'?
What's a lesson that I have learned recently that I'd like to keep in mind?
What's something I would do differently if I was treating myself with more love?
More Tips and Tools
1. There’s no timeline — This week's animation.
2. Take a break — The power of a pause.
3. Zoom in, zoom out — A problem-solving technique.
4. You were there — Honor your journey.
Or listen to the podcast episodes (Apple, Spotify) from this week!
Community
What is something you have learned about yourself lately?
"Quit my job."
"Move."
"Talk to people more."
"Go back to school."
"Stand up for myself and get better friends."
"Tell someone how I feel."
"I would quit my current job and try something new. I would get rest and then I would move to another country. I would also try to become a writer and a dancer."
Inspiration
1. Why are things cute? (Aeon) — This explains why I love staring at my adorable dog.
2. How a 93-year-old visited every national park and healed a family rift in the process (NPR) — "That takes courage, after you've been struck by lightning to say, 'I'm gonna keep on growing.'"
3. The best cooking show: Mystery Menu (NYT) — I just discovered this video series and it is so delightful.
Before You Go
No spam, just joy.
