Hello,
Welcome.
My name is Lou Redmond and I thank you for letting me share a few thoughts with you today.
We spend so much time trying to get it right.
It's as if every day,
Person,
And situation comes with a subtle pressure to wear the right clothes,
Say the right things,
And be the right person.
This pressure makes us afraid that who we are without getting it right isn't good enough.
We fear getting it wrong and being embarrassed,
Ashamed,
Or cast out,
Of having society reflect that yes,
We're not good enough.
Here is proof that we will never amount to anything,
We're too old,
We're an idiot,
Or unlikable.
But this shaming exists only in our heads.
We are afraid of our own inner critic,
The one that makes us wrong if we don't meet expectations.
What if we let go of needing to get it right?
What if we stop believing that we could get it wrong?
It's hard.
I even find myself doing it as I speak to you.
I'm trying to make sure that every inflection point and every thing I want to say is said perfectly.
But it's a trap.
If you're like me,
You lived this rightness at all costs for as long as you can remember.
What's insidious about trying to be right is that we inevitably believe we are right.
If we are right,
Then someone is wrong.
I feel I know what's best for my life,
Then others who make different choices must be misled.
Surely,
My path is more noble.
I spent much of my life thinking that I was better or worse than others,
Constantly compared myself feeling inferior or superior.
And this is dualistic thinking and not capital T truth.
Rumi writes,
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,
There is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
The world is too full to talk about.
Through doing my own inner work,
I am working on uncovering my unhealthy comparisons and letting go of the part of me that needs others' approval.
Maybe this can also benefit you.
This is a phrase that has helped me.
You can't get it wrong.
Or better yet,
It's all right.
It's all right.
And it's all right now.
This moment is perfect.
Your negative thoughts are perfect.
Your shame is welcomed.
Your deepest,
Darkest secrets are beautiful.
None of it is wrong because it's all right.
It's all right and you can't get it wrong have really become mantras for me.
And I encourage you to start to try them on as you start putting that pressure on yourself.
Give it a shot and let me know how it goes and let me know if any of this even resonates with you.
I really do love hearing from you whenever I share some of these thoughts.
So thank you so much for listening.
If you enjoyed this talk,
I go deeper on this topic in my course 21 Days of Morning Motivation and Inspiration.
So if you like this,
I highly recommend checking that out at my profile.
Where you'll find a meditation that we do on this topic as well as other inspiration and motivation to set your day up for success.
I look forward to seeing you there.
For those of you that are on Insight Timer,
Feel free to find my circle,
Lose circle and stay connected with new meditations.
Or search my library and find a longer meditation that might be resonating with you.
Sending you so much love and guidance as you walk this path.
Namaste.
