I had a moment like this the other day. I was watching a yoga video that I had recorded, and as I was watching it back, I began to criticise myself about how I looked. The thoughts that came to mind were ‘My hair looks really bad’, ‘That top makes me look fat around the middle’, and ‘I don’t look very stylish’. It made me start to think that I need to get a whole new wardrobe of clothes and start doing my hair and makeup just to make yoga videos.
(Let’s be clear here, I am the person that only wears makeup once or twice a year, and my visits to the hairdresser are similarly few and far between, so the idea of doing these things on a more regular basis is a big step out of my regular routine.)
We have a tendency to get caught up in these ‘self-critical’ ways of thinking. They can erode our confidence, increase uncertainty and open up the door to fear – fear of showing up and expressing who we truly are.
Have you ever experienced this? How did it make you feel?
Well, the idea of improving the way I look so that I can appear more attractive online became somewhat overwhelming for me. Had I let my thoughts continue on this path, there is every possibility that I would never make another yoga video again.
Thankfully, I decided to work through it and began to question myself a bit more. It went something like this:
‘Why does it matter what I look like?’ ‘I don’t look terrible!’ ‘I just don’t look super fashionable.’ ‘Is that such a big problem anyway?’
So, after a bit of internal dialogue, I came to the conclusion that even though there might be a small part of me that thinks it matters how I look externally, a bigger part of me knows that just by showing up, this is enough. The people who will benefit most from my videos are those who will appreciate me beyond the externals of clothing, hair and makeup. They will be the people who connect with the yoga I teach and how it makes them feel. They will be the people who are curious about my approach to health and wellbeing, and they will be the people who resonate with my energetic signature.
I know it sometimes isn’t easy to work past these feelings of self-criticism and negative self-talk. I want you to know that no matter what thoughts are going on inside your head, you have the power to change them. You are enough just the way you are at this particular moment in time. Reach for your dreams, even if you feel you aren’t ready yet. Be your authentic self and bless the world with your presence, no matter what you’re wearing.
