I AM Enough!(You really are)

I'm sure many of you will have seen or heard this phrase a few times in blogs on mental health and self awareness. It's been thrown around the self care circle but what does it actually mean? Having worked on my own personal development for so many years and still working on it (as we are all work in progress) I found it incredibly hard to actually say this without feeling a little self conscious and uncomfortable! Being in a very different place to where I was 5 years ago, I couldn't quite put my finger on why I couldn't feel the full convinction and power of those 3 little words.

I left it for a while and worked on some other positive affirmations which slipped smoothly off my tongue. I even found some new powerful affirmations that really threw a punch when I read or wrote them down in my gratitude journal. Then one day I was listening to a podcast (can't remember who it was) on anxiety, self-care (another phrase I shruggled with) and knowing your worth. I found myself thinking back to a time in my life when I allowed my boundaries to be crossed time and time again. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, I found myself screaming at the top of my voice "I WAS ENOUGH...DAMIT, I AM ENOUGH, I AM MORE THAN ENOUGH, I WAS ENOUGH THEN AND I'M ENOUGH NOW...!" The Penny had dropped .....I felt euphoric. Sometimes, we don't want to admit to ourselves when we have allowed others to dictate to us our self worth. We feel weak and stupid and our inner critic is having a field day but when it becomes clear, it is amazing how empowering and some what humbling the realization can be.

Accepting yourself for who you are, warts and all is true self worth. Nobody is perfect ..well maybe with the exception of Bradley Cooper...

Accepting who you are means understanding that we are unique. There is no one else like us in the universe, absolutely no one. Even though you may not see it initially, we all have our unique skills and qualities that we bring into this world through our experiences and interactions. It is better to be yourself because it is bloody tiring trying to be someone else. Being yourself is so liberating and accepting yourself is even more so.

I have always advocated meditation as a way of really connecting with the "real you!" The way I see it is it's Meditation or Medication. The practise of meditation has proven to be the key to calmness, feeling inner peace and contentment. By simply sitting, focusing on your breath and being in the moment slows down your parasympathetic nervous system. Only when you are calm in the body and mind can you really see what is going on. When you meditate, you go below the noise, the drama and the story you are telling yourself constantly. Meditating allows you to be present, in this moment instead of dwelling on the past (which you cannot change) or worrying about the future. I could go on here for pages but I do want you to come back to read further blogs...

If you can identify with any of the issues or are currently struggling with your self esteem and confidence, why not share your thoughts below.

Remember you are worth it and You ARE Enough!