When was the last time you really looked at yourself? And I don’t mean aesthetically.
I mean LOOKED inward at yourself and noticed what you see?
There is a reason why kids all other the world fell in love with the TROLLS movie. Sure, the tunes are rocking and the Cloud Guy is truly hilarious but actually, it is the depth of the film that struck a chord with adults and children alike.
The essence of the story is all about self-acceptance.
Many of the characters in the film struggled to like or even accept who they really were. They were stuck with a negative self-view that made them unhappy and stopped them living the life the wanted.
By the end of the movie, that had all changed (sorry for the spoiler for those that haven’t yet seen it!) and Trolls and Bergen’s alike were able to ‘show their true colours’ and be themselves – PHEW!
Cue, mass parties and lots of hugging and happiness all around.
But how does this help us as adults in the real world? How do we look INWARD and what is the real benefit gained by doing so? And what if we don’t like what we see?
The first step is to increase our self-awareness, then we can tackle what we find…
- Start journaling
Daily. There is something powerful about traditional pen to paper here. Just start small; Answer the question – ‘How am I feeling today’ and let the words flow out of your mind with fluidity and without monitoring or correcting yourself. The journal is for you. No one else will read it, no one else cares. Write freely and without restriction. Soon you will find yourself pouring out the deepest thoughts that are at the back of your mind or the worries that have been creating a knot in your tummy. This practice alone will take you leaps and bounds ahead in understanding yourself more deeply.
- Carve out some ‘alone time’
Preferable without distractions of devices/books/work. In nature if possible. Allow your mind to drift and notice what you notice in your surroundings and about yourself. This is the opposite of mindfulness in that I encourage you to think – let your thoughts flow and if you start to find yourself tackling a problem, go ahead and explore those thoughts. By doing this regularly you give yourself the opportunity to spend time with yourself and after a while, the more you do this, the more you will crave it. You will find yourself problem solving and coming up with wonderful creative ideas and plans.
- Discover your strengths
Start a list of all the things you like (or even maybe LOVE) about yourself. Be creative and honest. Include feedback that you have had in the past from others. Think hard and keep adding to this list over a number of days. Keep going back to it and allow yourself time to absorb each and everything you have written.
Yes, YOU… you are all those things and more.
By now, you should be much more aware and comfortable with your inner mind and feelings. Absolutely, you will have found some weaker spots whilst you are rummaging around in your inner world but I guarantee that you will be much more able to put a pin in those once you have unearthed all the loveliness within.
The truth is, EVERYONE has weak spots. Perfect people do not exist and how boring would they be if they did.
As coined perfectly by the Gestalt Theorist’s and captured so beautifully by the Trolls:
‘Be More Yourself’