Your Mind is a Badass Too!
After these thoughts passed through my mind, I thought, ‘wow, I’m a badass thinker’. Then the fear hit; what can I actually do about this now? In the days following, I tried to think more positively about things, only to be knocked off course when negative things happened, causing me to beat myself up. Then I had a new revelation: regardless of our situations, our perceived blessings, or our safety, we are all entitled to our feelings and emotions. We are entitled to feel upset about the current danger present in our world. Too often, I’ve heard people say be grateful that you’re safe, be grateful for the roof over your head, the clothes on your body, and while well-intended, it negates our past and the struggles we as individuals have. Whatever we are feeling, those feelings have energy and must be released or worked with.
Recently I woke up, and I felt like a complete fake. I looked in the mirror and the face looking back at me caused me to feel anxiety while my brain told me that I wasn’t good enough to run my business, so how was thinking of starting a second one? Maybe I was just too different to help others accomplish their dreams, and maybe I’m too introverted to encourage and teach others.
Instead of wallowing in my self-defeat and spreading my toxic energy to my family, I decided just to walk it out. I grabbed our dog’s leash and headed out to pound the pavement and destroy the angry voice in my head. As I walked faster and faster, not paying attention to where I was going, thoughts trickled into my brain space. Not good enough to run a business? Hell, I’ve always been told I’m too organized, too type A, too caring. I’ve been told that I take too many notes and make far too many plans- so why wouldn’t I be the perfect person to run multiple businesses? Too different and too introverted? Differences and personalities are part of what makes us who we are. So why wouldn’t I be the perfect person to listen to life stories, help people accomplish their goals, see the unique qualities of each individual, and help them stop shunning their uniqueness and instead embrace it?
Then it hit me that feeling inadequate and fearful is a natural response when trying to accomplish goals connected to work, life, relationships, finding your place, and so many other situations. The key is not to turn and run but instead face your fears, stare them in the eye and make your strengths work for you! This was where the concept of Badass Mindfulness popped into my head.
Badass Mindfulness is beneficial for EVERYONE. It doesn’t matter if you’re completely motivated and healthy, experiencing medical issues, mental health difficulties, recovery, a change in your lifestyle, type A, B or C, or just looking to better your everyday life and explore who you are. It’s looking at both the positive and negative aspects of your life while using the negatives to your advantage. Instead of simply continuing with life in a place of restraint or not living up to what you feel inside is your potential, you can shed the feelings of negativity and replace them with worthwhile positive action.
A whole lot of words, but what does it all mean? It means stop living the life you’ve been told to live, stop doing what society tells you you should do, step outside your comfort zone and just be you! The authentic you that has both negative and positive qualities. I hereby give you permission- no, permit YOURSELF, to release your shackles, both self-imposed and thrown on you, and let down your hair. Stop making endless lists of things you HAVE to do, let go of your desire to be perfect, hell, stop reading this article and get back to the things you truly enjoy!
Use the fear you’re experiencing to push you forward. I like to do this in the form of creative writing or journaling. I can tell you that once you start being more mindful of what it is YOU want, the universe (or whatever you believe in) can get a better idea of what you truly want and start aligning moments to see you succeed.
In a normal journal entry, you could write about a number of topics such as your daily experiences, adventures, gratitude, etc. A badass mindful journal is designed to help you explore the positive AND negative feelings, triggers, or moments with human trafficking awareness. These can be used for meditation or to explore your journey and create more confidence. You can tackle challenges, find positive wisdom, and capture snapshots of your life. These observations will show lessons that you need to learn from, and you’ll be able to better identify negative self-talk (that we all use every day) and use it as motivation.
Some of my favourite badass mindfulness prompts are:
I am proud of myself for…
I can be kinder towards myself by…
If my body had a voice it would whisper…
I am happiest when…
I feel so beautiful when…
I forgive myself for…
I recognize these strengths in myself…
I am no longer afraid to…
I showed courage today by…
I feel most energized when…
