MONDAY – love em, so much potential for yet another amazing memorable week!

This week’s fear facing theme is to stand up for myself, speak my opinions and express my true genuine self – being assertive and living with integrity “words and behaviour match”. I talked about this in the Friday live video)

If you have a focus and are determined to follow through on this, it’s hard not to. Or I should say it’s hard not to try really hard at least. So throughout my day, in conversations with colleagues and bosses, I’ve had this in the back of my head and I’ve reminded myself every time I’ve looked in the bathroom mirror. Focus.

So, how did it go? Well, It’s been a great day. It’s been uncomfortable for sure, but it’s been a great day.  I’ve connected with people, I’ve dared to speak my opinion and I’ve dared to say no to things in situations I otherwise wouldn’t. The boost you get in self-esteem by living your true self is just…

But, I know it’s not easy. It’s really not. Although it for sure is easier when you have the fear facing muscle warmed up and some momentum. Which I have. Which you also can attain if you implement a daily fear facing routine. Not gonna nag, you do whatever you want!

Besides all these mini pushes, we also have this on today’s fear facing action list:

• I sought eye contact with a cute girl while walking to work, and held it and smiled. She looked away. I kept looking. I kept smiling. She looked back. I smiled on the inside.
• I moved a scheduled meeting for next week to the end of this week instead. A scary one, and I identified that I felt that way. I knew it would be better for me to face that fear sooner rather than later so I took action. Unless specific competencies need to be developed, this is my praxis for fear facing actions. Do it as soon as possible.
• I went into a grocery store to buy tomatoes. Ended up talking for a couple of minutes with a very cute cashier. I liked her. She was cute. I told her that. She smiled, blushed, and said thank you. I walked away. Top moment of the day.

NEW THING (S):

• I worked with the in-house design team at the office today as they needed some help. Haven’t worked with these people before. Loved it, and the 13-hour work day went by just like that with loads of smiles, laughter and a feeling of having contributed. The people you work with matters so much to the experience of what you do.
• Used my Raincoat I haven’t worn in ages. Love it! Don’t underestimate the small changes.

This was it for today, see you tomorrow.

“A young man sits alone in the darkness of a movie theater, deeply inspired by the drama unfolding before him. The story touches him so deeply that tears come to his eyes. He knows that in a week or so he will want to come back and see this film again. In the lobby he spots a friend who was at the same screening, and they greet each other. He searches his friend’s face for clues to his feelings about the movie; but the face is blank. The friend inquires, “How’d you like the picture?” The young man feels an instant stab of fear; he does not want to appear “uncool.” He does not want to say the truth-“I loved it. It touched me very deeply.” So instead he shrugs indifferently and says, “Not bad.” He does not know that he has just slapped his own face; or rather, he does not know it consciously. His diminished self-esteem knows it.”

-Nathaniel Branden, the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem.