Recently, I participated in a Women's Wellness Retreat (thanks Jenn Brooks). I was nervous before I left because I would be car-pooling with my yoga teaching instructor and transparency teacher, Anna Pittman. When I mentioned my nervousness to my husband, I actually called Anna "The Great Anna." He mentioned this was a habit of mine--that I actually call ALL of my beloved teachers "the Great" Jane, "the Great" Dr. Cathy...." Sort of like I put the people that I love in a position of being better than me.
Being the supportive awesome hubby he is, he then said I was just as good as my teachers, and should call myself "the Great" Ann.
Hmmm.......
So this is sort of like that NPR story: "...Self-talk is more than a confidence booster. From a neuroscience perspective..." It's "...internal remodeling."
A few days later, after a very enjoyable drive, I told this story to Anna and we had a good laugh. Now, even though I feel the sadness of putting myself down for years, of longing for vast spacious love, I've finally realized that we are ALL vast spacious love, creative life force energy that expresses itself in so many diverse ways. But of course I still love each of my teachers' uniqueness--and I'm learning to value my own.
I launch my new website with this intention: May you come to know that you are "The Great (your name here)."