Hi,
I'm Jessica Graham.
I'm a meditation teacher,
Author,
And sex and intimacy coach.
Today I am going to offer you some tools for overcoming fear of rejection.
The fear of rejection can keep our lives really small.
Oftentimes people stay inside a tiny box of their comfort zone and don't step out because they're afraid of getting hurt.
But the thing is,
Your life can't expand in all the beautiful ways it wants to if you're limiting yourself by staying inside that little comfort zone box.
So,
With the idea of stepping out of our comfort zone,
I'd like to begin this practice by having you close your eyes and settle into your posture.
Just take a moment to notice how it feels to have your butt on the seat,
Your feet on the floor.
Settling into your body.
Settling into the here and now.
Everyone wants connection.
It's a human need.
When we're scared of stepping out of our comfort zone,
We don't always get the connection that we need and deserve.
Let's begin by helping you to connect to yourself.
Simply rest your attention on your body and any sensations that are happening right now.
Notice how these sensations come and go.
Some of them last for a while,
Some of them not that long.
This is your body.
You're connecting with your body.
Now I want you to notice your mind.
It might be thinking some thoughts right now.
That's really what brains do.
They create thoughts.
So,
Don't try to quiet your mind.
Instead,
I want you to just observe what's going on there.
Notice how the thoughts come and go.
They might be in the form of words.
They might be in the form of images.
Witnessing with acceptance and curiosity this activity of the mind.
Again,
This is you connecting with yourself.
Getting to know your inner workings.
Now I want you to bring to mind a situation where you have fear about being rejected.
Maybe it's a romantic interest.
Maybe it's a job.
Whatever it is,
Bring it to mind,
And just notice what happens in the body when you consider this situation.
You might notice some emotional sensations arise in the stomach,
The chest,
Or the face.
Allow whatever comes up to be there.
We're not resisting any part of experience.
Instead,
Just notice what comes up.
Now I want you to consider what is affected if this person rejects you.
What will happen is you'll have some challenging feelings in the body,
And you'll have some challenging thoughts in the mind.
And if those two pieces of experience get tangled up,
You'll probably suffer.
You'll feel rejected.
What if instead of going down that path of I'm rejected,
You instead observe the experience with an attitude of curiosity and acceptance?
Noticing that thoughts are just thoughts,
And emotions are just emotions.
I'd like you to take a moment and consider,
What do I have to gain by stepping out of my comfort zone and risking rejection?
Perhaps you'll gain a wonderful date or a new partner.
Perhaps you'll gain your dream job.
Who knows what could happen when you step out of your comfort zone and into your life?
Okay.
Take a moment to,
Again,
Just relax the body and notice that feeling of just sitting and being.
Okay.
Go ahead and open your eyes.
So remember,
The experience of rejection is just created out of thoughts and emotions.
And the more you observe,
Witness,
And get to know this process of thought and emotion,
The easier it will be to connect with yourself,
Connect with other people,
And not take rejection so seriously.
Rejection's just a part of life.
Okay.
Great work.
Enjoy yourself.
