At different times in my life words or phrases take on new meanings or emphasis. Most recently I have been working with “Let go of self-judgment and expectation”.
Those who have attended any of my classes recently will recognize that I have been offering that suggestion to others in their practice. This act is not just for practice on the mat, but in life.
We often place expectations on ourselves of what we should look like; how we should compare to others; what we should experience and then we fall flat with disappointment or miss being in the moment and recognizing what wonderful steps we have taken.
Maybe you haven’t had these specific experiences or thoughts, but here are some examples:
- Sally baked cookies and although they tasted good, she wasn\’t happy because they didn\’t look like they did in the picture;
– Sally could celebrate that she tried a new recipe and everyone thought the cookie were delicious
- Chrissy gave a presentation at the office, but she forgot to mention two points;
– Chrissy could celebrate that she gave a dynamic presentation that held everyone’s attention throughout
- Charlie went to yoga class and was frustrated because he didn’t look like the person in front of him as he held his side plank pose;
– Charlie could celebrate that he got himself to yoga class and honored his body in what felt comfortable for him to bring to the mat.
If we lose the expectations and be comfortable in who we are and what we bring forward at the present moment, each moment is a time for celebration. We can celebrate what were able to show up as our best self.
Explore where you could let go of self-judgement and expectation in your day. Show yourself some compassion and embrace showing up as your best self!
What can you celebrate that you did today?
