Kuch to log kahenge.. GET UNSTUCK

Image by michel kwan from Pixabay

My work requires that I bring forth my authentic self and share my life with the people I work with. This post is for all who are waiting to express themselves and are worried about how others perceive them.

Many years ago, I wrote something on a public forum which wasn't a well-constructed sentence. After a few hours, I saw a few condescending comments trolling my post. My enthusiasm and eagerness to connect with people turned into jitters. I also experienced rage and shame and was extremely self-critical.

After this event, my need to express myself turned into inhibition, as every time I thought about expressing myself in a public forum, I experienced intense fear. Months passed by, and my self-belief and confidence just kept depleting. Nothing worked for me: affirmations, pep talks, looking up to role models.

When I got onto the path of mindfulness, I slowly started untying my emotional knots. The fear I had tried curbing for years started returning even in my meditation. I had turned to mindfulness with hope but felt I was getting worse. I stayed consistent with the practice and gradually started confronting my fear and all other afflictive emotions without trying to turn away from them or suppress them. As recurrent memories of past failures surfaced in my meditations, I started experiencing the body correlates of these emotions and accepting them as they came in like a giant tide. As days passed, I became comfortable handling these strong physical sensations and experienced that while they may overwhelm me for a few moments, they are not permanent. I also could stay witness to my negative thoughts, and without trying to block them, I could learn to let them go. Slowly my mind and body started healing, and I started writing short quotes after many years. Now I have stepped up, and I write short articles. I may never write a best-seller; my writing is still very raw, but it's authentic, which is what matters.

I also realized that to overcome our inner barriers, we need effective tools to heal than any advice, pep talks or creating an inflated self-image. Mindfulness has been my elixir to help me get unstuck. I am still a work in progress. I am happy to share how mindfulness can help our mind and body heal so that we can honour our potential.