Pride In Reverse

PRIDE IN REVERSE....

The meaning of this is thinking about ourselves - thinking that everyone else is thinking about us - but the clincher here is that it is all negative.

Do you relate to this? Ever walk into a room and assume that people are thinking you look fat or old? Have you ever given a presentation and assumed that you were boring the crowd into oblivion? Or maybe this one... ever go on a date and assume that he/she wasn't attracted to you at all?

Well this my friends is what we call Pride in Reverse. Thinking about ourselves in a negative light. We are so consumed with what others are thinking about us - what we are thinking about ourselves that it robs us from our present lives.

There is a book that changed my life in this arena - "THE FOUR AGREEEMENTS" by Don Miguel Ruiz.

1st Agreement - Be Impeccable to your word.
2nd Agreement - Don't make assumptions
3rd Agreement - Don't take anything personally
4th Agreement - Always do your Best.

If you always do your best to not gossip, speak ill of others, spread rumors and instead encourage, keep your comments to yourself, and spread love - you will live a blessed life.

If you always do your best to not assume you know what others may or may not be thinking about you - your mind will be quiet and peaceful. You will never know what someone really thinks about you and quite frankly - it's none of your business.

If you always do your best to not take anything personally you can stay present and live your life being validated internally vs. externally.

We can't do these things all the time everyday of our lives - we are human after all.

But try your best and you will see miracles occur.

This book is amazing - I suggest picking it up.

Much Love and Light to you today.

Being Interested vs. Being Interesting

This concept really resonated with me. If I were to be truly honest - I would have to say That most of my life I concentrated on BEING INTERESTING. Do you like me? Do you think I am pretty? Do you think I am smart enough, funny enough, fun enough? After much seeking and self awareness I have thankfully come to the place in my life where I am more INTERESTED in you than being concerned about if you find ME INTERESTING.

Concentrating on being interesting is what I call pride in reverse. When one is prideful - they are thinking about themselves in a good way. They walk into a room and expect everyone to look at them - admire them - approach them because of their greatness. This can have it's good and bad consequences. Pride in reverse is - "Everyone is thinking about me and what a loser I am." "Everyone is noticing how much weight I have gained." "Everyone feels sorry for me because I lost my job or my marriage fell apart."

Trying to be interesting is EXHAUSTING. We cannot control what others think of us. To go one step further, we will NEVER really know what someone is or isn't thinking - so why spend our precious time and energy on it?

If we exert our energies into finding out about others, learning new skills, reading up on someone that interests us - doesn't that in itself make us more interesting? We don't have to try so hard.

The concept is quite simple to grasp but sometimes not easy to implement.

FOR TODAY: I will work on being interested in others vs. being interesting to others.