Empowering Caregivers-John Fellito - Can Self-Acknowledgment Be Our Greatest Gift to Others?

"Hold fast to the GREAT IMAGE, and all the world will come." -Tao De Ching #35

Many years ago, I attended a workshop led by a Mr. John Newman. In his "MoneyMind Seminar" he offered a variety of mental exercises as food for the right brain. Served up for the attendees consumption were several suggested affirmations. Knowing that we all have the right to accept or reject suggestions at these deep levels of consciousness, a flag went up for me when I heard the following: "I ignore my weaknesses and focus on my strengths." I appreciated most of Mr. Newmanís work, but I found the notion of ignoring my weaknesses as a weakness in and of itself. My feeling was that my weaknesses should be addressed and handled head on.

Over time, I began to see the genius of this statement and it has now become one for which I feel most strongly.

Dr. Wayne Dyer points out that what we think about expands. Those of us who learn to embrace this reality develop a discipline of shifting our attention in the direction of what we want vs. what we donít want. The Silva Basic Lecture Series addresses this in the section on Mental Housecleaning.

Were you sent any of the following messages early in your upbringing? "Who do you think you are?" "Don’t be so full of yourself." "Get off your high horse." "You don’t deserve it." "You’re supposed to behave good." Go ahead and do something wrong and you’ll get plenty of attention. Do something right and. Well, that is expected of you. This sort of conditioning causes us to have a sense of guilt when we think good things about ourselves. We, therefore, avoid self-acknowledgment and to a great degree, deprive ourselves of self-love.

Nelson Mandela delivered this powerful and inspiring message in his 1994 inaugural speech. It was, however, actually written by Marianne Williamson in Return to Love.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest far is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And, as we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

So I ask you, can our self-acknowledgment be our greatest gift to others? Do we choose to hold on to the limitations of old, worn-out programming or open ourselves to the inspiration of Nelson Mandela’s message? Make use of the marvelous right brain that your creator gave you and unplug yourself from the limits of previous negative programming and shift your intentions to this beautiful opportunity.

You are now given permission to acknowledge your greatness, your uniqueness, your talents and your strengths. I now request that you give yourself the permission to love yourself, acknowledge and fully accept yourself as a beautiful "child of God."

Let’s get our whole brain involved. Here is an organized model (left brain) to flow your thoughts and emotions (right brain) through.

The Four G’s Model:

Generate
Give
Gratitude
Gift

Prepare for this exercise by closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths and getting quiet with yourself. Here, within this quiet place, you communicate more directly to your right brain through images and feelings. Understand, that at this highly suggestible level, your brain does not know the difference between a real or imagined thought. Your brain will accept the images you generate through your intention.

Now, mindfully release the influence of past events, which you perceive, delivered negative limiting messages to you. GENERATE images of these past events as you would have loved them to be. Involve all of your senses, add motion and color. Participate fully with your emotions. Experience how great it feels to be praised, acknowledged and supported by your loved ones, friends and yourself.

GIVE yourself acknowledgment as you "focus on your strengths" and past successes, now in a context of self-love vs. "that is only what is expected of you."

Soak this quiet place with GRATITUDE. Be grateful for who you are. You were born perfect. Somewhere along the line, you were given messages that you were supposed to be someone else's idea of who you should be. Welcome yourself back with full acceptance and gratitude of who you are.

As you carry this newfound love of self, without guilt, share the GIFT you are with others. And remember Nelson Mandela’s words..."As we let our Light shine, we give other people the permission to do the same." Now that is true Thanksgiving.