20240618 - Mindful Breathing

You carry images of who you think you should be in your mind. We all do. You are aware of some of them, others are held in the shadows. Some of the images you agree with, others will shock you when you become aware of them. You are constantly trying to live up to those images by pushing yourself, trying to satisfy the critical voice in your head by doing the right thing, according to the images. If you are like most people, you seldom stop to take inventory of what image it is you are trying to live up to and what the consequences are for trying. And most importantly, why do you think you need to live up to this image in the first place? It is likely that you carry a belief that if you only live up to this image you will be safe, be loved, be enough, others would like you more, mum and dad would be proud of you, etc. Those are interesting believes that are worth questioning and examining more deeply because they control your life to a large degree. As an example, is it really true that you will be abandoned and lonely if you are yourself? Is it really true that you will be judged by others if laugh as loud as you want? And if it is true, is it really true that it is dangerous for you to be judged by others? So stop, take a breath and reflect. What are you trying to live up to now?