Complete As You Are: A Journey to True Self-Worth

Join Lou in this meditation, where we will explore a radical concept that challenges our conventional approach to personal development. Today, you will delve into the idea that "self-improvement is not what we should focus on." Prepare to open your mind, release preconceived notions, and embrace a fresh perspective on personal growth. Let us embark on this journey of introspection and exploration together.

Transcript

Hello,

Welcome to an Insight Timer premium track.

My name is Lew Redman,

And today I'm gonna share somewhat of a radical concept.

If you're like me,

You're really into personal development and bettering yourself,

And this idea of self-improvement.

And what I wanna offer today is that self-improvement is not what we should focus on.

Should focus on.

And let's break this down for a moment.

To improve,

If we separate those words,

It's I'm proving.

What do we feel like we need to prove?

Often it's some essence of not feeling good enough.

And so we get on our self-improvement journey because we don't feel enough as we are.

We're trying to change something.

We're trying to bring something in because we think that that's gonna make us feel better.

And sometimes it does.

But often we need to continue to improving.

And so by no means am I saying that I do not want to encourage development.

That is all about what life is about.

However,

I wanna offer a shift from self-improving to self-emptying.

To clear out the parts of us that are having those I'm not enough feelings and thoughts.

That's having this sense of incompleteness,

This sense of discontentment.

And instead of adding to make that feel better,

How about removing to connect with the wholeness that is already within.

And when we connect with the wholeness within,

Life begins to unfold.

And so instead of improving,

We are unfolding from a whole rooted center.

So today's practice is about noticing where in your life do you feel like you need to improve.

Working to get a little bit more clarity,

Get a little bit more lightness around that space.

And we're also gonna be exploring who in your life are you feeling like you need to prove yourself to because this is another area where we can get disconnected from our center and from our truth.

All right,

So moving into our meditation and closing your eyes if you haven't,

Taking any final movements that will help you settle,

Coming to a grounded and open posture,

Letting the weight of the body sink down and keeping an alertness and a lightness through the upper body as you continue to drop in.

Getting acquainted to the earth beneath you,

Be feeling it beneath your feet or beneath your sits bones,

Whether you're on a cushion or a chair,

Just sense yourself being supported,

Letting the earth hold you.

And all you need to do right now is just be,

Be in your body,

Be with your breath,

Noticing its rhythms,

Noticing the pulsations happening within you being with your breath,

Being with your body,

Feeling the support and then take a conscious breath in and letting that go to work with this idea of improvement and how we so often seek improvement.

I'm gonna ask you,

Where in your life do you feel you need to improve relationship,

Career,

Health?

Maybe you feel you need more money,

Another degree,

Something other than is right here and now.

So notice the first thing that comes up,

I'm sure you have many areas that might be coming up as we all do.

And this is not to say we don't want growth,

But we're gonna come at it from another direction.

And so just hold in your awareness that place in your life,

That part of your life that you'd like to improve,

Not getting into the story,

Just holding in your awareness what that is.

And as you hold this,

Start to feel in your body,

How that feeling of needing to improve manifests.

How does it impact your physical body?

Maybe you notice a tightening or heaviness.

What do you notice?

Sit and just be with what's happening in your body as you hold this one area of your life.

Continuing to breathe.

One of my favorite quotes is from an unknown author,

You can't improve what is perfect.

You can only see it and come to realize your own perfection.

So I invite you beneath this feeling of needing to improve or whatever showing up in your body,

Can you connect with what is already and always perfect within you?

And maybe you don't believe that there is something like that,

But there is something unchanging.

There is some same essence that you were born with that is here right now.

So I invite you to connect with that.

Maybe you feel it as a light within you or a sense of wholeness at the core of your being.

And as you breathe and continue to relax,

See if you can open to this place within.

You can't improve what is perfect.

You can only see it and come to realize your own perfection.

Keep opening,

Keep emptying,

Emptying those places that are keeping you from connecting with this wholeness.

Maybe you imagine that wholeness get larger.

Maybe you imagine the light get brighter.

And if you're having any of those thoughts that that part of your life brings up,

Well,

I'm not good enough as I am.

I need to change something.

See if you can release those into the spaciousness of wholeness to keep going one layer deeper.

And if you notice more resistance in your body,

Breathe into that.

Let it empty,

Let it release.

Remember,

Instead of self-improving,

Self-emptying.

Keep emptying and letting go,

Letting that wholeness,

Letting that light grow within.

And as I said,

I'm all about growth.

But what matters is not what we do,

But where we do them from.

Not what we do,

But where we do them from.

We can meditate or go to the gym from a place of lack,

From a place of not enough,

Or we can meditate and go to the gym from a place of fullness,

From a place of unfoldment and joy.

So continue to feel that fullness within and see if you can let whatever the right next action arise from here.

So maybe you think about that area of life that you're wanting to improve.

From this place of fullness,

Is there any action that arises?

And don't force it if it's not there.

And then we're gonna take a conscious breath in together and letting that go.

And we're gonna do a little bit more work with this concept of proving.

And this time it's gonna be around who you might be trying to prove yourself to.

That's often another place that we act from a space of lack and disconnection.

And so bring to mind someone in your life who you feel like you need to prove yourself to.

Maybe a friend,

A parent,

A coworker,

A boss,

Whomever.

Imagine them in your awareness.

Stay connected with your breath and your body.

Stay connected with that fullness.

And I'm gonna invite you to share some words with them.

I'm gonna speak them and you're welcome to repeat them out loud.

You can repeat them silently,

Or you can just listen and feel like you're sending this energy towards them.

So repeating,

I don't have to prove myself to you.

My presence in this world is enough.

I love myself for who I am.

My light shines brighter than I can see.

I am so loved.

And repeating again,

Saying this to them,

Noticing what shows up in your body as you do.

I don't have to prove myself to you.

My presence in this world is enough.

I love myself for who I am.

My light shines brighter than I can see.

I am so loved.

Notice how the energy between you and them feels.

Staying connected to that wholeness within.

And then letting them go and making this more broad,

Repeating,

I don't have to prove myself to anyone.

My presence in this world is enough.

I love myself for who I am.

My light shines brighter than I can see.

I am so loved.

And maybe repeating one of those that you need most right now.

Reminder,

An affirmation for yourself.

Just taking a few more moments to really let that resonate within the fullness of your being.

And staying with that for a few more moments,

Or you're welcome to let that go and just be here.

Be with the experience of the practice or just be with your breath.

Finding a few more moments of stillness before you head back into your day.

And then a gentle breath in together one last time.

And letting it go.

And whenever you're ready,

Of course,

If you'd like to pause and stay in the practice,

You're more than welcome to.

And if you'd like to come back,

Slowly opening your eyes and arriving back into your room.

Thank you so much for letting me offer and share this space with you.

Let me know what you think of this idea of self-improvement and flipping it on its head and connecting to the wholeness that is present.

I love hearing from you in the comments.

And if you're on Insight Timer and not in my circle,

Please go ahead and find that in the groups,

Lose circle.

It's a place where you can stay up to date with new meditations that come out or different live events that I have happening.

So please go ahead and check that out and stay connected.

And as always sending you so much love and support for your unfoldment journey.

It's such a gift to be able to be with you and walk this path alongside you.

Sending lots of love.

Have a great rest of your day.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you Lou...I am new to your meditations altthough having been on IT for a few years.
I have been struggling to prove to MYSELF that I am good enough for me.
I also worry, as a mature woman, about tomorrow.
I desperately need to live here, now. Moment by moment .....its been hard.
Sharing this practice with you has shed some light on where to start. Thank you again.

I will be replaying this, it’s difficult and so necessary to accept myself in my own un-folding. Thank you so much.

What a great a a great concept. I will continue reflect on this. Thank you!

Love this!

Love this approach
Thank you Lou🧡

I appreciate this perspective greatly. 🙏

Loved this reminder that we are already whole and perfect, and there's nothing to prove. Thank you! 💛

Great message amd pace for this meditation. Accepting where we are and that we are whole in every moment is a huge deal for me. As someone who loves to work on himself, the fact that I need not strive to improve but rather allow my unfolding is really good learning. Thank you for your gift Lou!🎁🙏❤️

Great meditation and beautiful start to the month! Thank you 🌟

Lovejy. Many thanks Lou ❤️🙏

I appreciate this concept of self emptying so much. Thank you 🙏🏻

🙏 Thanks Lou, such a simple and soft practice, with great insight as a result💚