Since I started coaching work back in 2018, I’ve been amassing my own affirmation anthems to use as guide posts to keep me intentional and focused. Some of us call them, “Power Thoughts,” to use to remember you’re the boss of your own life even in moments you never wanted to live in the first place. I keep finding new ones, tweaking the ones I have, asking myself what else I need to learn or remember or let go of.
Before coaching and thought work, I was constantly searching for voices outside my own to tell me I was worth a damn. Give me praise, tell me I’m special, say I’m not crazy, Let me know I have permission to be here. The thing with those outside voices is that the appetite for praise, in my case, is insatiable. It’s never enough. Bono himself could write a NYT OpEd column about me and how awesome I am and what fun it was to drink beers with the Pope together as we discussed the Global Refugee crisis, and I’d wake up two days later and still feel like approval was out of my reach. That’s not fun.
Now, after coaching, I’ve taken up the job of giving myself approval, knowing what I’m about, knowing I’m whole and worthy and loved and the world has permission to go about their business without needing to write columns about me just so I can get out of bed and whatnot. It’s real nice when they do. I do love that, but I don’t require it for walking the earth. I do the job now and I think I do a much better job and so here goes:
-Dolly Parton and $100k (it reminds me of ease and abundance)
-There’s no way I’m not doing this
-This is all happening for me.
-I don’t want to be good. I want to be whole.
-Be Her Now
-What wants to happen
-Miraval Mindset (that place rules, it’s super chill and super clear)
-Clarity is queen (Fog of confusion does not solve problems)
-Unfading, undefiled, everlasting (my identity in Christ)
-I am living into my next best self. (What would she do? DO that)
-I am not tired. I might just be feeling vulnerable. Know the difference (Fear of puking on the track can have me stalling out. I’m not gonna puke probably)
-My body is my work (I can be real up in my head and this reminds me that my physical existence holds lots of information and love too).
And that Bono thing would be really cool, but I can get lots more done just on my own. In fact a better question would be, what can I do to get ready for the day Bono comes calling? That sounds like fun. OK peace out.