Inspiration Or Comparison: Being Yourself - Story & Practice

When we feel inspired by those around us, we are uplifted. When we compare ourselves to others, we can carry a heavy burden that affects ourselves and those around us. We will explore, through guided meditation, what it feels like in our bodies to experience both in order to bring awareness to these feelings inside of us. In this exploration, I will share a children's story by Barbara Joosse, lead us in a short talk and then move into a guided meditation. Thank you for joining me!

Transcript

Hi,

Today we're going to spend some time looking at the difference between being inspired versus what it is like to compare ourselves to those around us.

We will explore what it feels like to experience both and how this can be felt physically and emotionally inside of our bodies.

I'd like to start first by reading a children's book that explores this for us first.

Then I will do a short talk about some of my own experiences.

Then we will move into a guided meditation where we will explore the experience together so that you can better understand how it feels inside of your own body.

Now let's first begin by reading the children's book,

I Love You,

The Purplist by Barbara Josie.

It's illustrated by Mary White and I was given permission by the publishers at Chronicle Books to read this story to you.

I would like to thank all of them for letting me share this story with this community here.

This is the story,

I Love You,

The Purplist by Barbara Josie.

Early in the evening,

The brothers and their mama finished supper in the sturdy red cabin and set out to fish.

The lake slowed its thrashing to a soft,

Even beat.

The mosquitoes dipped low to the water and the water bugs skittered on top.

The moon glowed on one side of the lake while the sun shimmered on the other.

This was the time when fishing was best.

Max exploded from the cabin,

Twirling the shovel in front of him.

Mama came next and then Julian.

Julian shut the cabin door tightly to keep it safe from burglars and bears.

Julian scooped the dirt to find the fattest worms.

Max jumped on the shovel and flung dirt in the air until a tangle of worms filled his can.

Mama,

Who has the most worms?

He asked.

Mama smiled.

Max,

Your can is full of the liveliest worms.

And Julian,

Your can has the juiciest.

Max,

Julian,

And Mama stepped into the small wooden boat.

Julian took one oar and Max took the other.

Julian planted his blue boots wide and took deep,

Even strokes.

Max braced his red boots against the ribs of the boat and stroked quickly through the water.

The brothers faces were hot and they gulped at the air.

Julian gasped.

Mama,

Who's the best rower?

Mama's eyes grew soft.

Why Julian,

You took the deepest strokes.

And Max,

Your strokes were fastest.

The three fished until stars sprinkled the sky and water turned dark as night.

In the end,

Mama caught one fish,

Julian caught one fish,

And Max caught three.

I'm the best fisherman,

Cried Max,

Hoisting his fish in the air.

Julian pushed his hat brim low on his face.

Three fish,

What a bountiful fisherman you are,

Said Mama.

And Julian,

You're the cleverest.

Your fish hid in the weeds,

But you waited.

When your bobber jerked in the water,

You kept your pole high and you reeled in a fine fat fish.

When the fishing and the baths and the stories were done,

Mama tucked the brothers into bed.

Julian slept in the top bunk and she reached up to kiss him goodnight.

Mama whispered Julian,

His hands forming a tunnel around her ear.

Who do you love the best?

Mama thought for a minute and then she whispered,

Why Julian,

I love you the bluest.

I love you the color of a dragonfly at the tip of its wing.

I love you the color of a cave in its deepest hidden part where grizzly bears and bats curl up until night,

The mist of a mountain,

The splash of a waterfall,

The hush of a whisper.

The breath in Julian's chest grew and grew and grew until he couldn't hold it any longer.

Then it came out in a long velvety sigh.

Mama crouched low to the bunk where Max slept.

Max wriggled his finger for Mama to come close.

He whispered,

Mama,

Who do you love the best?

Why Max,

I love you the reddest.

I love you the color of the sky before it blazes into night.

I love you the color of leopards eyes when it prowls through the jungle and the color of a campfire at the edge of the flame,

A wide open hug,

The swirl of a magic cape,

The thunder of a shout.

The smile on Max's face grew and grew until his cheeks couldn't hold it in.

Then it came out in a big sundry laugh.

Later in the evening,

The brothers and their mama slept,

One in the top bunk glowing like the evening moon,

One in the bottom bunk shimmering like the evening sun,

And Mama in the big bed dreaming of the boys she loved the best.

The End I hope you enjoyed this story,

And I'd like to move into the talk about inspiration versus comparison.

Inspiration,

Maybe something that we see or feel or hear,

Or experience that makes us feel a sense of awe and wonder inside.

It might be a speech that someone gives,

Or a book that we read that inspires our insides.

It might be a song that is sung by a musician,

Or a piece of art that we see firsthand.

It could be the act of being in nature and experiencing the amazement of Mother Earth.

There are many ways to be inspired in life.

Inspiration makes us feel lighter inside.

We may experience tingling in our arms or hands or legs.

Inspiration can sometimes make us feel like we could lose our breath in amazement of what we are experiencing.

When we are inspired,

We feel more alive and grateful for those around us.

Writers,

Artists,

And creative people often speak of what inspires the pieces they create.

Athletes speak of being inspired by what the human body is able to achieve.

Inspiration leads us to be grateful to have shared the experience with others as well.

Now let's talk about comparison.

Comparison,

Unlike inspiration,

Especially when it is about comparing ourselves to others,

Is an act of judging as either better than or worse than.

There is a feeling or a sense of being inadequate or not quite good enough.

The feeling inside of us can be one of sadness or anger,

Jealousy or hurt,

And can feel like a dark,

Heavy burden inside of our body and our mind.

These feelings can make our hearts feel heavy.

Comparing also does not allow us to celebrate for another in their good fortune or success in life.

And when we take away from another person's joy,

We then become heavier and separated from other people around us.

We hurt ourselves and others with this way of seeing the world.

The truth is,

We aren't always supposed to be,

Or do,

Or have,

Everything that other people do or be or have.

It's important instead to learn about our own selves and who we want to be in the world so that we can honor others and ourselves at the same time.

Now I'd like to share with you a couple of personal stories of my own to share examples of the difference between the two experiences.

Inspiration A couple of years ago,

One of my friends sent me the link to a video on YouTube.

The video was created by two hikers who were also professional photographers.

The video was of the days and nights on a hike through Yosemite National Park in California.

The video included images of a hike up Half Dome,

One of the peaks in Yosemite Park.

It was a beautiful time-lapse video of mountains,

Trees,

Sky,

Waterfalls.

And at the top of Half Dome,

The video showed the sun rising and setting from the top of the peak.

While I watched the video,

All I felt was unbelievable amazement,

And my whole body tingled experiencing this beautiful hike.

There was one particular image of a lake inside Yosemite that had a large stone formation inside of it.

It literally took my breath away because I thought to myself,

Oh my gosh,

That is the place I've created inside of me that I imagine where I meditate every day.

And yet I myself had never been to Yosemite before.

My body had already created this image inside of me somehow.

This video was such an inspiration to me that I immediately began to research what it would take to make this trip for myself with the intention to go and to hike Half Dome.

I was able to find a group to hike with,

And on the off chance I was able to get a permit that opened up when I called to schedule the trip.

I spent time collecting equipment that I needed for the three day backpacking journey.

I also began training with a 35 pound backpack every day for three months to prepare for the trip.

Mind you,

I was up to that point just a regular hiker,

Not an overnight backpacker,

And I had never backpacked with equipment before either.

Also the elevation climb over two of the days to reach Half Dome would be 5,

000 feet.

I don't think up to that point I had done more than 2,

000 feet in elevation gain.

It was probably a really good idea that I didn't realize how difficult it would be,

But because of the inspiration that I felt,

I trained for three months,

I hiked and backpacked and climbed Half Dome in Yosemite.

The inspiration inside of me created the ability for me to want to experience being at Yosemite and being in nature.

I was so inspired that it made me want to train for the hike and to show up for the opportunity.

After it was all said and done,

It was probably one of the hardest experiences for me as a hiker that I'd ever faced.

The whole trip wasn't perfect.

We were actually hit by a monsoon during the hike,

And all of my gear ended up getting trashed at the end.

My ankles hurt so much,

I wanted to stop on the way back down.

But the truth is,

I'm so grateful that I was inspired and got the experience.

When I watched the sunrise that morning on the peak of Half Dome,

Seeing and witnessing what I'd seen on the video,

I knew that it had been a trip of a lifetime.

And best of all for me is that I did find that lake in Yosemite,

And I got to sit inside the real thing and meditate.

It was amazing.

Like the boys and mom from our children's book story,

I Love You The Purplist,

They were inspired by the outdoors,

The lake,

The sky,

The fish,

And just to be with one another in nature and grateful to be sharing time with each other on their adventure as well.

Now I'd like to talk and share a little bit about comparison of my own personal experience.

When I was about 10 years old,

My friend had a horse.

I was very jealous.

Why did she get a horse,

A big beautiful animal that she could ride and have fun with?

Why did all I have was a kitty cat?

You can't ride a cat.

That's what I thought at the time anyway.

Sometimes my friend would invite me over to ride her horse.

The horse's name was Goldie.

I always had fun when I got to ride Goldie with my friend,

And I would be upset when I had to go home without my own horse.

I would complain that our family didn't have a horse of our own,

And wouldn't it be great if we only had this one thing?

Then life would be perfect.

One day my friend invited me not just to ride her horse,

But also to help her with all the chores of taking care of her horse with her.

I was so excited.

I said,

Yes,

I would love to.

So I helped her feed her horse hay and alfalfa,

And then we brushed her horse all the while watching for hooves and teeth and back legs so as not to get kicked or bitten.

Then we cleaned the stall,

Cleaned the water,

And filled it up again.

After cleaning the stall,

We then put fresh hay down as well,

Shoveling large heavy loads into a wheelbarrow,

Moving it into Goldie's stall.

By the time we were finished with all the chores,

I was sweaty and stinky and tired.

My friend was excited and happy.

It turned out that she did this every day,

Sometimes even twice a day.

Well,

You see,

I wasn't so excited then about owning my own horse.

Maybe I was okay just having my kitty at home to pet and feed and love.

Maybe I didn't really need my own horse after all.

Comparing sometimes gives us a false sense of the reality of a situation.

Before wanting what others have or wanting to be like others,

It's actually good to know the whole story behind the picture that we paint in our minds.

The truth is,

Maybe we won't really enjoy what we think we want.

Maybe that isn't who we are.

Just like our children's story,

The boys are always asking their mom who's better at what,

And the mom emphasizes to them what she finds awesome about each of them instead of comparing one brother to the other.

Our mom in the story never says who is better than nor less than.

They are taught to like what is special about each one of them.

When we are inspired by another,

We are willing to put in the effort,

Work,

Sweat,

And time to make a dream happen that feels like an inner calling.

However,

When we compare,

We are focusing on what another has that we think we want to be like,

But we don't ourselves understand the value or honor the work behind it.

With these thoughts in mind,

Let's now move into the guided meditation.

We will have the opportunity to explore both sides of this issue.

This will allow you to have a better understanding of what it feels like in your own body when you experience inspiration,

And what it feels like when you experience comparison.

In this exploration,

We will learn to both appreciate ourselves and who we are,

As well as appreciating others for their skills and their talents.

Let's move into the guided meditation now.

Begin by gently slowing down your breath,

Breathing in,

And exhaling.

Find a comfortable seated position where you will be able to stay active during this guided meditation.

With each breath you take,

You begin to feel yourself connecting with the earth beneath you,

Where you are grounded and safe.

In this seated,

Comfortable position,

Imagine you are in a quiet,

Peaceful,

Loving space,

Whether that is at home or some place in nature,

Even somewhere in your imagination.

Imagine you are in a sacred space special to you.

Using deep breaths,

Inhale from the pelvis all the way up your body to the top of your head,

And exhale your breath fully all the way back down your body,

Grounding into the earth beneath you.

Do this once more,

Taking a deep breath in,

And exhaling out.

Now with your next breath,

As you breathe in and exhale,

Imagine that any heaviness that is inside of you or around you is cleared from your body,

And that with each breath,

You become lighter and more clear until you glow like a translucent bright light.

From this place of clarity,

We will begin to explore together.

Imagine in this space,

This sacred space that you are seated in,

That there is an open seat across from you.

It is a comfortable,

Safe,

Inviting seat,

And only those whom you invite into the space are allowed to sit in the seat across from you.

Know that you have complete control over this energetic space.

Now as I say the word inspiration,

Who is it that is an inspiration to you?

What image or name bubbles to the surface in your mind?

This can be someone who is still living or someone who has transitioned already.

I'll say the word now.

Inspiration.

Who comes forward to be with you?

When you are ready,

Call this person who inspires you into the sacred space to sit across from you now.

Once they have sat down across from you,

Take this time now to energetically connect with them.

Take these few moments of silence to do this now.

Now that you have connected with this inspirational person,

Begin to scan your body.

Once you scan your body,

Look for where you feel the inspiration inside of yourself.

Do you feel it inside of you or around you?

Does it feel tingly or do you feel light inside?

Does your breathing change at all?

Do you notice it in your chest or in your stomach?

Do you feel joy or excitement?

As you sit with these feelings for the next few moments,

Explore them as they move in through and around your body.

Allow these feelings to share themselves with you so that you understand what it feels like when you are inspired.

Take time now to explore these feelings.

Now that you know the experience of inspiration inside of yourself,

I would like you to take a moment to share with this person who is sitting across from you what it is about them that inspires you.

Take this quiet time now to share your gratitude with them.

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

When you are ready,

Say thank you to this person for their inspiration in your life and thank them for sharing with you today.

After thanking them,

Allow them to leave this sacred space so that once again it will be just you and the seat across from you that is now empty.

From this new space,

Take a deep breath in and exhale,

Clearing the energy of the space around you.

Now let's explore the feeling around comparison.

When I say the word compare,

Who is it that you compare yourself to?

Is there someone that pops into your mind that you are constantly comparing yourself to?

See what image comes to the surface of your mind when I say the word compare.

Now,

With this person in mind,

Ask him or her to join you in the seat across from you.

Just know that if you have any feelings inside of you that are uncomfortable,

This is okay and normal.

It is important for you to know what it feels like when you experience these feelings of comparison.

This exercise will help you learn to identify what you are experiencing in your body when it happens.

This person now sits across from you in the sacred,

Safe space.

Take a few quiet moments now to connect to the energy of this person.

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

Begin your body once again asking yourself these questions.

Where do you feel this feeling of comparison in your body?

What does it feel like?

Does your breathing change at all?

Do you feel anger or fear or sadness?

Is there confusion or jealousy?

Just explore these feelings so that you know what it feels like when it happens.

Take some quiet time now to allow the answers to flow through you so that you better understand what your body communicates with you.

Connect with yourself in this moment.

And now,

The answer is now Parishadha.

Breathe in gently,

Move your breath from the earth to the top of your head connecting with all that is and exhale fully.

Now that you have connected with the energy,

Take a few moments to share with this person what it is you compare in yourself to them.

The reason to do this is not so that you can either judge yourself or the other person,

But that so you can bring awareness to yourself of the thoughts that you are thinking when this happens.

In awareness of what you are thinking,

You then have the ability to shift those thoughts in the future.

Share now with this person sitting across from you.

Take a deep breath in,

Moving your breath fully through your body.

And exhale.

Now in an act of gratitude to shift these feelings inside of you,

Take time to thank this person for joining you in this sacred space.

Thank this person for helping you learn more about the feelings that arise in you so that you have a better understanding of what you are thinking.

When you are ready,

This person will leave your sacred space and the seat that is in front of you will be open and clear once again.

From this space,

You breathe in deeply and fully and your exhale is long and connected.

Now from this space of clarity,

I'm going to ask you to call in a younger version of yourself into this space with us.

Call to yourself and ask the age of you who is ready to join you in this space to be present now.

Take a breath in and exhale.

How old is the part of you that has come into the space to be with you?

Ask him or her to sit down and join you in this circle.

Now this younger version of yourself,

Depending on his or her age,

May either want to sit across from you in the open seat or if it is a much younger age of yourself,

He or she may want to either sit next to you or even in your lap.

Whatever feels best for both of you,

Allow this to happen now.

You both sit together for a moment to remember one another and to just sit in this quiet space of gratitude,

Connecting once again with each other.

Do this now in this quiet,

Quiet space.

When you are ready,

Just like the mom and the book we read together,

I love you the purplest.

She shared with the boys all the things that she liked about each of them that she thought was special.

I would like you to now share with your younger self all the things about him or her that you are proud of and love and what gifts they have brought to your life just by being themselves.

Take this time now to share with the younger part of you who is with you.

Take this time now to share with the younger part of you who is with you.

Take this time now to share with the younger part of you who is with you.

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

When you are ready,

Thank this younger part of yourself for joining you here today in this space.

Imagine giving this part of yourself a hug.

He or she leaves the space now so that you may once again be in this sacred place with just yourself at the age you are now.

For the next few moments,

I would like you to sit quietly,

Allowing all the information that has been shared with you today to move through you so that you may reflect on the inspiration you have felt inside yourself.

Reflect on what it feels like when you notice yourself comparing to others and reflecting on what it feels like to be happy with who you are in each moment.

Allow these images,

Feelings,

And thoughts to come into your mind.

Take a deep breath in,

Bringing up your breath from the earth beneath you,

And exhale fully,

Moving the breath all the way back down through your body,

Once again connecting to Mother Earth below you.

Know that in this moment,

You are enough just as you are,

And that you will continue to grow and evolve on your journey,

And as you are inspired,

You too will become an inspiration to others as well.

Continue to listen to your body,

Your inner GPS system,

From a place of calm and understanding.

It will always guide you.

Sometimes we embody the energy of a beautiful orange delicate butterfly,

Or silver lightning flashes,

Or twinkling brilliant stars,

Or blue skies,

Or white puffy clouds,

Or green growing grass,

Or brown fertile earth,

Or red busy building ants,

Or black mysterious nights,

All woven together.

Thank you so much for joining me today on this journey.

May your path be blessed and filled with wonder and inspiration.

And as Barbara Josie would say,

I love you the purplest.

Reviews

Love the soothing sounds of Shannon’s and voice and the connection she builds from the crasvticity and mind of a child

Lovely

Purple. One of my favorite colors💜💜.
Inspirational🌸

You are so inspirational to us all thank you for another insight story thank you Namaste 🙏🏻

Thank you so much for this thoughtful lesson. I loved the story and I surprised myself with all the good things I came up with that I love about me😊💕🙏🏻

Beautiful! Thank you🌹