Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want to talk a little bit about self-belief,
About believing in yourself,
And this meditation is based on a live session I did recently.
Self-belief is one of the most quietly radical acts a person can commit,
Believing that you can do something.
But believing in yourself isn't just about confidence,
It's also about trust,
Trusting that your inner compass still points somewhere meaningful,
Still lets you know that you're on top of things and on the right track.
It's the moment a child takes their first deep breath before speaking in front of the class,
Or when someone dares to write the first line of a poem that they've been carrying in their mind for years.
It's not loud,
It's not always visible,
But it's transformative.
And it's not blind optimism,
True self-belief often coexists with doubt.
It's natural to doubt yourself.
And often doubts are put on us by other people,
By parents or siblings or co-workers or friends.
And that's another time when you have to let go of anything that doesn't serve you.
Our doubt says,
I know I might stumble,
But I'm going to try anyway.
It's the soil where humility and courage grow side by side.
Helping someone believe in themselves is like handing them a lantern for the path they didn't know they could walk.
And in thinking about believing in yourself,
I think that you need to think about humility as well.
Humility and self-belief might seem like opposites at first.
One is quiet and self-effacing and the other is bold and self-assured.
But in truth,
They're deeply intertwined,
Like breath and stillness in a meditation.
Humility clears the ego's fog.
Humility isn't self-deprecation,
It's clarity.
It allows us to see ourselves honestly,
Our strengths without inflation and our weaknesses without shame.
That kind of clarity is fertile soil for authentic self-belief.
It opens us up to growth.
When we're humble,
We're teachable.
We recognize that we don't know everything and that's okay.
This openness invites learning,
Which in turn builds real self-confidence,
Not the brittle kind that needs constant validation.
Close your eyes now and let's get in touch with our breath.
And it doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Or kicked back in your favorite recliner.
The only thing that truly matters when we meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.
So as we begin to get in touch with our breath,
Let's scan our body.
Relax your face,
Unfurl your brow,
And unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck.
Relax your shoulders.
Those are places of tension in today's world.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Look for any tension in your chest and belly.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And as we begin to relax,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's there for us in all moments,
When we're happy,
When we're sad,
When we're confident,
And when we're not.
Notice your breath.
Don't just breathe,
But notice where you feel it,
A cool sensation in your nostrils as you breathe in,
Or the movement of your chest and belly as you breathe in and breathe out,
One breath at a time.
Believing in yourself is important.
And it's especially important in this age of social media,
When everyone is posting their best stuff online,
And we feel like we have to measure up.
We don't.
You are enough,
Just as you are,
And you have to believe it.
Just continue to follow your breath and listen to my voice.
Believing in yourself makes space for others.
A humble person who believes in themselves doesn't need to dominate.
They lift others up,
Collaborate,
And listen.
Their self-belief isn't a wall,
It's a bridge.
It anchors courage.
Humility says,
I might fail.
And that's just part of the path.
I'd like you to imagine yourself standing in a quiet forest.
The trees around you are tall and ancient,
Stately and steady.
Their roots run deep,
Just like yours.
Beneath your feet,
The earth holds you.
It does not ask you to be perfect.
It simply supports you as you are.
Feel your breath,
Like a breeze through the leaves.
Feel your heartbeat,
Like a drum echoing through the soil.
You belong here.
You are part of this strength.
As you continue to follow your breath,
Gently bring your attention inward to the quiet voice within you.
The one that knows your truth,
Even when the world feels loud.
If you'd like,
I'd like you to repeat the following positive affirmations,
Either out loud or softly to yourself.
I'll say each one twice.
I believe in myself.
I believe in myself.
I trust the path I walk.
I trust the path I walk.
My worth is not measured by noise or speed.
My worth is not measured by noise or speed.
And last one.
I carry strength in my stillness.
I carry strength in my stillness.
Let each phrase settle,
Like a stone in a river.
Solid,
Smooth,
Enduring.
Just continue to follow your breath.
We're just breathing in and breathing out.
One breath at a time.
And then the next.
And then the next.
And as you sit there breathing and relaxing,
I'd like you to think of a moment when you showed courage.
When you believed you could.
It might have been something small.
A kind word.
A boundary you held.
A step you took.
Honor that moment.
Feel the warmth of it in your chest.
You are capable.
You are growing.
Now,
Imagine speaking to yourself as you would to a dear friend.
I see your effort.
I honor your journey.
You are doing beautifully.
Let me say that again.
I see your effort.
I honor your journey.
You are doing beautifully.
Let these words wrap around you like a soft shawl.
Just continue to breathe.
Breathing in and breathing out.
One breath at a time.
Now,
If you can,
I'd like you to picture a light glowing in your center.
It's soft and golden.
And it's very soft at first.
It then gets brighter.
This light is your self-belief.
It does not shout.
It does not demand.
It simply shines.
Through uncertainty.
Through change.
Through time.
With each breath,
Feel it expand.
Into your chest.
Into your limbs.
All the way to your fingertips.
You are lit from within.
You are your own compass.
Now,
As we begin to near the end,
Feel the surface that you're on.
Notice the air against your skin.
I'd like you to take in one final breath,
Drawing in clarity,
Courage,
And calm.
And exhale,
Anchored,
Whole,
And gently empowered.
As we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
To be here in this moment.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session for each and every one of you.
You can do it.
And you have to believe in yourself.
Words and thoughts are powerful.
And the things you say to yourself can become true.
If you listen to my meditations,
You know that I like quotes.
So here's one from tennis player Venus Williams who said,
Some people say that I have an attitude.
Maybe I do.
But I think that you have to.
You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.
That makes you a winner right there.
I hope that you will carry this feeling of belief in yourself into your day.
Carry this quiet strength with you.
You don't need to prove it.
You only need to remember it.
Till next time.
