Self-Leadership: Creating Sustainable Change From The Inside Out
“Problems cannot be solved with the same mind-set that created them.” — Albert Einstein
In the West we have learned to revere the mind and its analytical and logical processing power. This attitude is ingrained in our education system and places of work. It has become so much part of the fabric of our being, that it is difficult to see it for what it is – unless we become intimately connected with a culture that has a different value system, like multiple indigenous cultures around the world.
Self-Leadership aims to awaken the inner processes that allow us to perceive the world, not as black-and-white or linear, but as complex, layered and intrinsically connected.
Self-Leadership has the power to re-kindle awe and wonder and open us to new possibilities that otherwise would remain closed.
It is a process we can learn to grow into and expand over time.
There are several aspects I consider fundamental to Self-Leadership.
Awareness of Self
Self-awareness is the foundation to fulfilling our potential and creating the life we would like to live. Self-awareness also expands awareness of our relationships with the world around us. Without knowing ourselves and where we are at, we cannot discern the right pathway that will lead us to our goals.
Commitment to
o suspending self-judgment and replacing it with curiosity
o doing Sadhana. Sadhana is any kind of regular meditative or contemplative practice that reminds us, and supports us, to live our life aligned with our deepest values
o practicing Self-Compassion – learning to be our best friend, especially in situations when we have made a mistake or feel like we have failed in some way
o developing a sense of humour – ‘not being funny, but thinking funny’
Openness to
o rephrasing our inner self-talk in order to get unstuck and interrupt the negative confirmation bias. This will help rekindle our belief that change is possible after all
o actively pursuing a daily sense of gratitude, even if this seems challenging to start with
Please note, our inner attitude is more important than what or how much we do.
The crucial thing is to begin the journey and seek support when we need it.
We practice by trial and error
It is not easy to discern when to push ourselves a little to overcome inertia, or when to encourage ourselves to take a break. That is why developing self-awareness and getting to know and befriending our body and mind, is so important.
Self-Leadership, based on compassionate self-care, is a way to create sustainable change from the inside out. I would like to invite all of us to develop a wholesome and loving relationship with ourselves, free of self-judgement and put downs.
Imagine what it would feel like to love and accept yourself completely*, just the way you are, and how this might affect the way you engage with life and those around you.
I dare us all to embrace ourselves wholeheartedly.
Kindly & daringly
Uschi
*Accepting ourselves completely does not mean we stop trying to create positive change. It does mean, however, that we stop wasting our energy fighting or ignoring what is and instead invest the energy in creating the change we want to see.
Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash with credits