I am on my way to Saba, a tiny island in the Caribbean that I call home in the winter months. Right now, I am writing from my hotel room in Boston because I have a big goal (a scary one too!) that I’d like to ask you all to participate in with me.
Last week, I made a pact with a dear friend to relase (once and for all) “not good enough.”
You know not good enough…that belief that makes us feel unworthy and unloved. For me, it was “not good enough” that made me strive and stive, burning the candle at both ends. It’s what rocks me to my core when someone says something mean about me, giving me that feeling that this one thing is a statement about my whole life.
Not good enough blows things way out of proportion.
It can keep you awake at night, bring on anxiety or depression and wreak all sorts of havoc to your self-esteem. And yes, it is one of the particularly sticky contributors to eating disorders.
Today, I still know that there are cords of this feeling of not being good enough and I am ready to cut them once and for all!
But you know what? When my friend and I made a pact to release it, I asked for a date, a deadline of sorts. She said January 1st, 2008. Whoa. That scared me. Why?
There are 2 reasons I was scared to release not good enough by January 1:
- Because it seemed too big to release in such a short time.
- Because I didn’t know how.
Do you see what I did in that moment? My first response was one of fear. It is fear speaking when you doubt yourself. When you think, “yeah, but” or that you don’t know the answers.
So I went back to everything I’ve been learning over the past several years. For example, when you set an intention, it is not necessary that you know HOW to do it, just that you believe you can. In this instance, I clearly did not believe I could and I got caught up in the how. Once I realized that, I took a deep breath and accepted the deadline.
I still don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I have a strong desire to release this feeling of not being good enough and I am ready to trust that the how will show up.
And then I thought, what if we all do this together?
What if everyone reading this right now made the same commitment? In this way, our collective intention would have more power than just my friend and me. What do you think…are you ready?
What would it be like to suspend doubt and believe that it’s possible to release yourself from not being good enough?
What would your life be like?
As I make my day-long journey to Saba tomorrow, I am taking my intention into the skies and gathering up positive energy to share with everyone who is plagued by feelings of not being good enough. We all deserve to let this go and to love ourselves. A world of people who love themselves is a world at peace and harmony.
Infinite love and gratitude to all of you! I invite you to join me and I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences as we walk this path together!
P.S. For anyone who has called or e-mailed while I am in transit today and tomorrow, I hope to have phone and internet connectivity by Friday!
by Mary
13 Dec 2007 at 12:59
We are always “good enough” to the One who created us. If that is the case, then who are we to say otherwise?!
by Heather
14 Dec 2007 at 12:13
Hi Mary, You are correct! When It comes to our Creator, Souce, the Universe, God, Higher Power or whatever you believe in, we are always perfect, whole, complete and more than good enough.
Unfortunately, in our human experience, many of us are taught otherwise. OR, we have a “mistake of the intellect,” in which something happens, so we end up believing something that is untrue as a result of that experience. If we truly believed we were good enough, why would be think bad thoughts about ourselves or engage in behaviors that harm ourselves or others?
In this human experience, we all make mistakes. It is when we think those mistakes mean something about us — we are failures, we aren’t smart enough, etc. — that we end up thinking we are less than good in some way.
If we all committed to seeing ourselves through the eyes of our true nature and/or through the eyes of the Creator, Source, God, the Universe (whatever your belief!), then we could stop identifying with the happenings of our lives as indicators of who we are. That is the challenge though, isn’t it?
So this is my goal. To take on this new perspective – to shed the last threads of fear and doubt about not being good enough. To see my true spirit, insead of my human experience. With just a few days of focus, things are already shifting!
I hope you are feeling it too.
With love,
Heather
by karen
05 Jan 2008 at 20:07
HI Heather
Yes it has been a very long time.
I too will make that committment that I am good enough I really believe it now I am better and stroinger and healtheir than I have been in a long time
AN I know that Iam good enough and that I deserve. I am making lots of changes in 2008 and I am very excited
One thing Iwant you to know is that I Am studying to become a life coach and I plan to specialize in Disordered Eating and helping women of all ages with their food issues
You are my inspiration.
You have given me so much.
Enjoy you winter in Saba I know that it wil be wonderful and that you deserve it and that you are beyond GOOD ENOUGH
Lots of love
KAren
by Emily Jolie
06 Jan 2008 at 13:55
Dear Heather,
Wow, now I am so curious as to how your first few days of 2008 have been and whether you feel you have been able to release the ‘not good enough’ feeling! I’ll have to admit that the feeling followed me into the the new year, but, hey, the good news is I don’t have to wait until 2009 to let it go.
Ok, to be absolutely honest… I know this is self-sabotage to even say, but I don’t really see msyelf ever being able to release the not-good-enough feeling for good. I do see myself being able to minimize how often it comes up, and the way I respond to it, and I’m going to start with that!
Thank you for your inspiration, Heather, as always! I hope you are having a FABULOUS time in Saba!!
much, much love,
~Emily