Be yourself; everyone else is taken.
~~ Oscar Wilde
Greetings to all my precious people!
It is the beginning of February and the Spring season is not far behind! In the Celtic traditions, the first day of February is known as “Imbolc” (im-bulk) and is celebrated from February 1 to sundown February 2. Imbolc marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and is just one of several holidays highlighting some aspect of winter and sunlight, and heralding the change of seasons.
Imbolc celebrations take the form of a festival in honor of the goddess Brigid, who was evoked in fertility blessings and oversaw poetry, crafts and prophecy. She is both a historical figure and a goddess, leaving an indelible mark in the year 480 by founding a monastery in Kildare, Ireland. Brigid, honored as the patron saint of poets, healers, metalworkers, and dairy workers, embodies a multitude of virtues. Celebrated on February 1st, she emerges as the harbinger of spring – a fire goddess illuminating our lives with light and imagination. Imbolc and Brigid are traditionally aligned with the idea of rebirth, so let us embrace this seasonal transition and choose to engage in a journey of rebirth for ourselves!!!
Let’s begin this rebirth and perspective shift by reframing a common phrase and consider the source and the trigger activated in us. When you hear someone say, “You’re full of yourself,” what comes to mind? The words arrogant, uncaring, entitled, conceited, and selfish are commonly associated with that phrase. It may correlate to the childhood messages that many of us received: “Don’t be too big for your britches” and one of my all time favorites: “Who do you think you are?” If you’ve been told you’re full of yourself, it’s a colloquial way of saying that you’re overly self-centered or boastful. But if we are not “full of ourselves” then who and what is taking up the space in our head and heart? What if, instead of seeing “full of yourself” as a negative term, we could rephrase it to “self-full”?
Because our thoughts are things, and are known to influence our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, we can begin to pay attention to how we think and perceive things. Giving ourselves permission to stand back and observe our inner workings is a gift well worth receiving. Get curious about what currently fills you up – thoughts, ideas, beliefs, feelings – and begin to gently and compassionately examine what is in alignment with your inner knowing. Curiosity combined with courage will be your starting point!!! Trust that all your lived experiences have informed your way of being in the world, and now, as you take the time to look more closely at yourself, you will be able to ascertain that which no longer serves you, and that which you want to encourage and strengthen.
“I consider it a compliment that I am full of myself.”
~~ Oprah Winfrey
“Your real work,” Oprah said, “is to figure out where your power base is. And to work on the alignment of your personality — your gifts that you have to give — with the real reason why you’re here. That’s the number one thing you have to do, is to work on yourself…and to fill yourself up, and keep your cup full. Keep yourself full.”
The journey to being full of yourself is not without its challenges or fears ~ but the journey won’t be without its successes and growth, either. A good way to undertake the journey would be to consider the habits you have that are hindering you from feeling like you are living your best life.
Procrastination, negative self-talk, perfectionism, rumination, worrying… all of these are habits that not only drain the Qi of your vitality but also take up too much space in your mind. The accompanying podcast – How to Make Change your Ally with Brad Stulberg will give you some great ideas on how to take actionable steps that will help you establish a way to measure your progress and celebrate your small successes along the way!!!
