Exploring Your Ideals: Part 4

I know... you're biting your nails waiting to see what Part 4 of our Ideals journey is all about.

And if not, that's okay too :-D.

All kidding aside, let's start with a story.

When I was laid off, I felt a tremendous amount of shame.

Beforehand, I felt passionate about what I was doing.

I infused the vision and mission of my work into my bones.

It was the perfect role and opportunity for me.

So when it ended, I thought that something was deeply wrong with me.

I wasn't in my zones of excellence and genius anymore.

I was no longer aligned with my ideal self.

And that's the beauty in "shame."

Based on Emotional Response-Ability developed by Charles M Jones, "shame" is the emotion sent by the subconscious mind when it believes that you're no longer personifying your ideals.

When I learned this, lightbulbs went off.

It helped make sense of what I experienced after my layoff.

It helped me realize that I have an ideal self and that I was off track with it.

And it helped me see that spending time every day consciously aligning with my ideal self is a personal mission!

So, if you've experienced shame, especially recently, ask yourself "what ideal do I have that I'm not embodying?"

If that ideal is something you want, take steps to get back on track.

If that ideal is something you *don't* want to embody anymore, drop it.

And now you're ready for the final "Ideal Prompt" in this series:

"How would you describe your ideal self?"

The truth is, most people won't do this.

Most people may not even see this...but that doesn't matter a single bit!

Because you...yes YOU...the one who graciously shared their time to read this far, have an opportunity to be who you want to be.

Gift yourself the time to write your ideal self.

And if you're having any trouble describing your ideal self, think about people who inspire you.

Describe what it is about them that inspires you, and you'll create your list.

With your description in hand, you'll kick-start your subconscious to find solutions on how to embody these qualities.

Now, describing your ideal self is a wonderful gift, but it's not just for you.

You see, when you show up as your ideal self, you will start to positively inspire and influence others.

Your boss will notice a change, your personal relationships will notice a change, and the quality of your work will start to change.

And this is one simple, yet powerful, way to manage up...down and all around.