As an "expert" I sometimes feel like I have things pretty together. Still, once in awhile I run into a situation that reminds me where I came from and that the old patterns can raise their ugly heads.
I was at a tradeshow on the weekend. The table beside me was for a furnace company. You would expect the people working it would most likely be men. At the start of the day, an older, very friendly and lovely woman was manning it. An hour later, her partner joined her. A tall, willowy, puffy lipped, tightly clothed younger woman. This is the kind of woman that would make most other women feel insecure.
All of a sudden I felt my own sense of self have a hiccup. I was no longer the tallest, one of the things that are noticed about me. I wasn't the best dressed. I could easily be overlooked with the could be model next to me. It took a little time for me to swallow my pride and hold my virtual breath to calm the self hiccup. When I finally talked to my perceived nemesis, she, of course, turned out to be lovely, friendly and down to earth.
I was reminded that we all have our moments of feeling less than confident and to be more patient with people when they are in that space. Usually all it takes is a move away from that space with something simple like I did with talking to Erica, but sometimes it takes a fair bit of fortitude to take that step.
There will always be things that come about to test us. To test our growth. To test our integrity. To test our commitment. The question is, what will you do about it?
I've been struggling lately with some personal depression which has made it hard to get things completed. However, I continue to move forward, no matter how tiny the steps. The key is to acknowledge those steps and celebrate them.
Remind yourself that you are growing. Take the time to look back and see how far you've come. Let the hiccups happen, swallow them down and keep going. You - and I - are doing great!
Keep saying your mantra - BE BEAUTIFUL, BE YOU!
Let's dance together in celebration of our progress!
www.thebigkitty.com
1 comment:
I can empathize with a loss of confidence. I think we often look at what still needs to be done to take us where we want to go and forget or ignore all of the learning and productivity we have accomplished to date. Sometimes we need a quick reality check, whether it's a chat with someone like Erica or a long walk in the river valley, to bring us back in line. And sometimes a celebratory glass of wine will do the trick. Keep up your great work, Christie.
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