“Most people define themselves by this finite body, but you’re not a finite body… I mean even under a microscope you’re an energy field. What we know about energy is this… You go to a quantum physicist and you say “What creates the world?” And he or she will say energy. Well describe Energy. Okay. It can never be created or destroyed. It always was and always has been. Everything that ever existed always exists.
It’s moving into form, through form and out of form. Okay, great. You go to a Theologian and you ask the question “What created the Universe?” And he or she will say God. Okay, describe God. Always has and always has been, never can be created or destroyed all that ever was always will be always moving into form, through form and out of form.You see it’s the same description, just different terminology. And so, if you think you’re this meat suit running around , think again. You’re a spiritual being. You’re an energy field operating in a larger energy field.” ~James Arthur Ray
I came across this excerpt while flipping through The Secret the other day, and I knew I had to share it with you.It occurs to me that as our society becomes increasingly tolerant of certain differences, it also becomes more body-conscious–which can have the unfortunate effect of causing many people to feel inadequate or unattractive in comparison to society’s ideal body types.
And, while I’m sure there are a few of you out there who have no complaints about your physical bodies, I’m willing to bet you’re the minority. Most people have at least one thing they don’t like about their physical appearance, and many have more than one.
The connection that Mr. Ray makes between ourselves and the divine seems to indicate that science and religion may be getting closer to the same page–and, on a similar note, seems to affirm the law of attraction.
That said, the final couple of lines is really what grabbed my attention here–the idea that our bodies are not, in fact, “meat suits” and that in reality, they’re spiritual beings in and of themselves.
So what does this mean for our body images? Well, quite simply, we’re a product of our thoughts. That is, when we spend time lamenting on the things we don’t like and ignore those things we love about ourselves, we manifest more of those things we don’t like.
For example, if we want to get thinner and healthier, we set out to lose weight. We think about losing weight, we talk about losing weight and we focus on losing weight. So, we lose weight…and we then talk about having lost it, and so on.
However, this kind of thinking can lead to temporary success at best–because when you’re focusing on LOSING WEIGHT, you are bringing the need to lose weight back into your life, if you catch my drift.
Focusing on health instead, focusing on fitness, on feeling good…this is how to get there. Think in the affirmative–about what you WANT, not what you don’t.
This idea can be applied to any area in your life, of course.
In relation to your body specifically though, it seems simple. Want to get rid of pimples? Focus on having clear skin. Hair getting a little thin? Focus on having thick, beautiful hair.
It’s really quite a bit less complicated than you might think.
If you cannot learn to love (and be grateful) for your body as it is today, and as you hope it will become one day, you cannot achieve your goals. Focus on what you WANT, not what you don’t–it’s that simple.
Be grateful for your sight, your hearing, your sense of touch. Enjoy tasting foods, walking around in the world, being able to talk to your friends. Remember that your body works hard for you every day, and be grateful for all that it allows you to do.
Remember, your body is not just a “meat suit”–it’s a spiritual being. It’s as divine as your soul. Beginning to recognize it and treat it as such will bring you closer to your own personal fulfillment and to a new level of enlightenment.
Bliss Mission: Think Happy Body Thoughts!
So, my challenge to you today is to be conscious of negative body thoughts and words that creep into your day. Make the choice to change your mind in relation to your body image issues. When you have a negative thought or speak negatively about your body, intentionally change it. Focus on the good instead, and be grateful for it.
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” ~Wayne Dyer
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has underestimated you in some way?
Whether the offender misjudged your intelligence, your abilities or your strength, how did it make you feel?
Did you begin to believe that person was right, or did you feel defensive or angry because you knew he (or she) were wrong?
Nearly everyone has been on the receiving side of an unfair judgment. People judge you on your looks, your age, your weight, your financial (and parental) status, your address, your religion, your career choices (or lack thereof)–the list goes on and on.
This is especially true if they don’t know you personally, but it can even happen within families and friendships.
Even people who have high levels of self-esteem can find themselves feeling frustrated when they’re misjudged–but those who sometimes feel like they’re not good enough anyway can really struggle with feelings of inadequacy if the right insult gets hurled their way.
So how do you deal with people who underestimate you or misjudge you?
Let It Roll Off Your Back
In some situations, you can just ignore the person because you’ll never see or deal with them again. For example, if you’re at a clothing store and a salesperson or fellow customer makes a rude comment to or about you–it can be really upsetting. But if you think about it, once you leave that store, you may literally never see those people again.
And remember, you get to decide who has the power in this situation, so claim it! Don’t give some stranger the power to ruin your day–choose to be happy instead. (And if it helps you, remember that whole “the best revenge is living well” thing.)
Prove Yourself. Or Not.
If the underestimator is someone you know personally, you’ve got some choices to make. If it’s important to you to change that person’s mind about you, then try to do it through actions rather than words.
Don’t confront him or her or try to defend yourself–if you’re being underestimated, the judger is not likely to actually listen to you anyway and you’ll grow more irritated when they won’t hear you or acknowledge the validity of what you’re saying. That’s just inviting negativity into your life.
But really, you need to first get comfortable with yourself, and who you really want to be. When you are comfortable in your own skin–mentally, physically and emotionally–you aren’t likely to feel the need to prove yourself anyway.
When It Hurts
Sometimes, being underestimated can hurt, especially in personal and professional situations. Whether it hurts your feelings or your pocketbook, it can make you feel badly about yourself and/or the people and situations in your life.
The most important thing to do when this happens is to keep it in perspective–are the people who are judging or underestimating you perfect? It’s highly unlikely. Everyone has flaws–and in most cases, one man’s flaw is another man’s treasure.
Embrace yourself and remember that you are perfectly YOU–and that’s really all that matters.
Even though it’s easy to feel negatively when you get judged unfairly, you’re only hurting yourself by doing that. Remember that what you put out into the world comes back to you–like attracts like, so if you’re feeling like you’re unfairly judged all the time, you definitely will be.
Remember too that people who feel the need to constantly judge and belittle others are most likely insecure in themselves in one way or another. That means there’s something wrong with them–not you.
You’re Not Alone
Like I said, nearly everyone has been in this situation. Take me for example. I once worked with someone who seemed to think I wasn’t smart enough to pour myself a cup of coffee, let alone actually do the job I’d been hired to do.
I’ll admit, it really pissed me off–especially because I knew for a fact that I was more experienced and capable than this person. I felt like telling her exactly what I thought of her, too.
And–another admission–I was not having very many nice thoughts of her after she blatantly misjudged me without even asking me who I was and what I could do. (She made an incorrect ASSumption. And you know what happens when people ASSume right?)
But even though I had a strong emotional reaction to this behavior, I stepped back and took a logical look at the situation. If I were to blow up and do the diarrhea of the mouth thing, it would very negatively affect my career–and certainly that particular job.
So, I decided to change my mind, and I managed to maintain a professional and fairly friendly relationship with this person, despite my personal feelings. And eventually, she got the clue that I knew what I was doing. We actually became “work friends,” even.
And, for me, making peace and finally being recognized for my abilities was a far better alternative to blowing up and ruining the chance that it would ever happen. The moral of the story? Think before you speak–and don’t let the bastards get you down. 🙂
So how about you? Have you ever felt misjudged or underestimated? How did you deal with it? Tell me your story in the comments!
“Most people define themselves by this finite body, but you’re not a finite body… I mean even under a microscope you’re an energy field. What we know about energy is this… You go to a quantum physicist and you say “What creates the world?” And he or she will say energy. Well describe Energy. Okay. It can never be created or destroyed. It always was and always has been. Everything that ever existed always exists.
This idea can be applied to any area in your life, of course.
