This quote has been attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, yet similar statements were logged as much as 100+ years before. Regardless of where or from whom it came, I love it.
I'm not usually a quote sort of person. I've mostly thought of them as a lazy way to express the way you feel. I used to roll my eyes at colleagues who had dozens of quotes pasted all over their door, desk and walls. But then I recently came across this quote in a magazine and I can't get it out of my head. And I hope that 1. those colleagues never caught my eye-rolling and 2. if they did, I was unable to make them feel inferior in any sort of way, because they refused to let me.
We've all been made to feel inferior. And it starts at way too early an age. Reading this quote reminded me of the same advice my mother always gave to me when I went crying to her as a little girl after being hurt by another:
"Don't let them make you feel that way."
I didn't understood what she meant back then - how could I change the way someone made me feel? It was her kiss and hug that always got me through the pain. At almost 40, I get it now, at least intellectually. Admittedly, it can still be hard to practice, especially in this competitive world. Sad as it may be, in some environments, it seems as though making others look or feel inferior is key to climbing the ladder, or at the very least hanging on to your rung. And so we may from time to time find our mental selves right back on that elementary school playground.
What we often don't realize is how much these scenarios affect us, and not just psychologically. They affect us physically. A co-worker or boss makes you feel inferior, insecure, stupid - what happens? Do you lose your appetite? Drown yourself in ice cream? Toss and turn at night? Sleep the whole morning away? Maybe your reactions aren't as severe, but that might be even more dangerous if the debilitating effects build up, unacknowledged, over time. I have many clients who, once we work together through issues in a relationship or at work, immediately lose the weight they've been struggling with, free themselves of the chronic digestive issues, eliminate the reflux, etc. Mind and body are intertwined.
Does this sound familiar to you at all? Do you feel as though someone other than you might be in control of your mind or body? Remind yourself they're only able to do so with your consent, and then rescind it.
Could it be that simple? Think about it. Pretty empowering right?
