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Be Selfish

What's in a word? Any time we hear a word, we filter it through our perceptions. I came across the word selfish last week and want to share a slightly different way to look at it.

About 4 years ago when I was doing a lot of volunteering in the Prison system, I remember a conversation I had with Al. On a break in a workshop I was helping with, we had a moment to reflect on an exercise we had just completed. He said that it was the first time he felt ok to say something good about himself, and talk about some of his dreams and goals. "Usually, he said, I always felt it was too selfish to talk about stuff like that. I just kept it all in. My parents always said don't talk about yourself. Today was the first time it felt different".

I offered that to speak our own truth is not selfish at all. Then I said, "besides, Al, if the word selfish bothers you, switch it up. In your mind think of it as self-ness. Be who you are in your own Truth. You have a right to. Old beliefs handed down to you that don't serve you anymore, are better left aside."

At that moment I saw the lights go on for Al. A magic moment! He said "that's it! all I have to do is think of it just like that. self- ness... it feels better!"

Point to Practice:
Here's another word: yourself
When you say that, what comes up for you?
Consider this: yourself
Our Self is the Being inside. That real You. Give your Self more credit for the Inner wisdom, and intuition you hold. You are truly greater than you give yourSelf credit for ! We all are !

Remember, it's not helpful to belittle our greatness or put ourselves down for something. No amount of this action ever helped to empower the person next to you.

Anytime you feel like Al about a word or phrase that has a connotation that doesn't work for you, play with it and look for ways to switch the word up. How can you put it to use in a positive way? Simple to do, but it worked wonders for Al, who now stands taller in his own Truth... total self-ness!

Cathy Clark is a Personal Professional coach with over 7 years experience helping people learn how to utilize the Law of Attraction in their career, business, or just plain Life - get what you want, not what you don't. Cathy can be reached through her website, www.coachingwithcathy.com or by email, cathy@coachingwithcathy.com.

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