5 tips to overcome self-doubt
It was a great sunny day last week and I was walking on a beach. Suddenly, I hear someone yelling: "You don't have to look at me this way, weirdo". A couple more steps forward, I realized it was towards me. I was shocked, to be honest. I look at a girl who passed by and she did not like it. She thought that I am judging her by looking at her. In reality, I just liked her boots, you know we always notice.
How many times were we like this girl before? We constantly think about what other people think of us and we get stuck in this circle of doubting everything in our lives. Is this the right outfit, did they like my makeup, is my dress too short or long, is my hair looking okay. And bigger things of course: am I good enough for this job, I will never complete this project, this guy is out of my reach, and so on.
Here and now, girl, I want you to trust yourself, nothing is wrong with you. You are whole and complete and you can express yourself in any way you want.
Here are 5 tips for you to overcome self-doubt!
1. Practice self-compassion. Talk to yourself as your best friend vs your worst enemy.
2. Do not compare yourself with others. You are who you are. Enjoy being you with all your ups and downs.
3. Remember that you are your meanest critic. Watch for negative thinking. Do not allow yourself to get stuck in this negative thinking. Let it go and replace it with a positive, supporting and loving thought.
4. Stick with your values. Determine what your values are and stay with them. No matter what other people think, if it is important to you at this point you have the right to think so.
5. Spend time with supportive people. We become the same with our surroundings. Build your community, Be around people who elevate you, cheer for you and help you to be better.
Feeling Stagnant?
Nourish yourself with this simple tea recipe
1. Ingredients:
(i) 4 Cups Water
(ii) 1 hand full fresh mint
(iii) 2 Tbs loose leaf green tea (or 3 tea bags)
(iv) Honey to taste
(v) Fresh lemon
2. Preparation:
(i) Bring the water to boil in a saucepan.
(ii) Pour over the tea and mint.
(iii) Steep for 5-10 minutes.
(iv) Add honey to taste
(v) Serve hot
Want to add some freshness in life?
Try this easy Fresh Herb Pasta recipe
1. Ingredients (i) 1 pound bag of gemelli pasta (or any shape that you like) (ii) 1/2 cup of packed basil leaves – chopped (iii) 1/2 cup of purple basil leaves – chopped (iv) 2 tablespoons of chopped sage (v) 2 tablespoons of chopped oregano (vi) 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary (vii) 1 large clove of garlic - minced (viii) 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (ix) Salt and pepper to taste 2. Instructions (i) Bring a full pot of water to a boil and salt the water with a teaspoon of salt. Add the gemelli pasta and cook according to the instructions on the bag. Usually nine minutes. (ii) When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and put it back in the pot. (iii) Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan on medium heat. When it’s hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and herbs and stir for thirty seconds. They will sizzle, remove from the heat if the oil begins to smoke. Pour the oil and herbs on the pasta and stir to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. (iv) Enjoy!
Moon Stages
How moon affect our emotions
1. New Moon (Rebirth)
At this time the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, so it is not seen from Earth. When the Moon is invisible it signals a strong power that everything is being cleared.
New Moon is the time of darkness and darkness is a representation of rest. It is our time to slow down and go inwards, contemplate on the past month and plan for the month ahead. You might feel not social and introverted, you might have a feeling that you need to stay alone and restore your energy.
Things to do:
- Rest, sleep, meditate
- Plan for the next month
- Create a self-love ritual
- Grounding
Things that you should avoid:
- Crowds and big parties
- Negative people
- Overwhelming yourself
- Too much work
2. Waxing Crescent (Setting Intentions)
The ‘Waxing’ means that the moon is growing and we can see a Crescent looking left with its pointy edges.
Spiritually: The Waxing Moon represents a process of setting intentions. This is the time to feel what is missing in your life and what you want to invite to your life this month. It is like planting seeds for your future. You might feel that your energy is growing and you are ready to be a bit more active, mentally aware and physically stronger.
Things to do:
- Intention setting
- Be in nature
- Create a ritual to manifest your wishes and dreams
- Experimenting with new recipes, new ideas
Things that you should avoid:
- Being lazy and sluggish
- Aggression and gossip
- Staying inside too much
- Being closed to new things in your life3.
3. First Quarter Moon (Action)
We can see only half of the moon in the sky. The Moon will appear as though it has been cut into half. This happens exactly after a week after the New Moon.
Spiritually: As the Moon grows her energy our energy rises too and we can start to take action to achieve things that we planned earlier. This is an active stage and we are strong and confident that we can make things happen. We also might meet some obstacles and challenges along the way. If this happens make sure to stick with your plan or adjust it slightly to the new circumstances. Be open-minded and flexible and greet life with a big smile. Meet a group of friends for a get-together and enjoy being social.
Things to do:
- Stay committed to your plan, have a to-do list
- Be open to changes
- Be confident that you can do it
- Pursue things and take challenges
Things that you should avoid:
- Giving up and being scared of your challenges
- Be rigid and harsh
- Judging yourself and others
- Being controlling
4. Waxing Gibbous (Refine)
A waxing moon is almost a full moon. This moon is easily seen during the day because a large portion of it is illuminated.
The Moon is almost at her fullest power and our energy is a lot stronger as well. This is a stage of adjustments and fixing things. We already have done some steps on our journey towards our goals and now we are facing situations that not all things are in our control. It is a good time to refine and rethink how we want to do things and treat ourselves. Find your flexibility, let go of ideas that don't work, make sacrifices, see the bigger picture and why did you start all this. It is a great time to be active, schedule a date, work conference and be around people. Some of the most important conversations can happen during this stage.
Things to do:
- Be social and see people
- Be proactive and assertive
- Schedule a romantic date or a bonding time with your loved ones
- Take care of others and offer help
- Ask for things
Things that you should avoid:
- Staying home in your shell
- Destructive activities like drinking and smoking
- Being affected by other people’s energies
- Taking too much to your plate
-
Overwhelming yourself with too many things to do.
5. Full Moon (Harvest)
A full moon occurs when the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. This alignment illuminates the whole moon and we can see her in full beauty.
Full Moon is a very special time for all of us. As the Moon is in her full power and directly opposite to the sun. That brings the energy of duality. We might fill out of balance and like too many things are happening at the same time. The Moon is known as a ruler of water and our emotions, if we are disconnected the volume of emotions can get pretty high and things can come up to the surface. Spiritually Full Moon is a time to let go of everything that does not serve us any longer. Offer everything that you no longer need to the Mother Moon. At the same time, Full Moon is a time of harvest. We can see the result of our intentions coming to us. We can see our seeds becoming crops. Then we are balanced and connected. The full moon can be a great time to celebrate our victories and enjoy our spiritual harvest.
Things to do:
- Take time to walk under the moonlight
- Get together with your girlfriends, Full moon is enhancing your feminine power
- Meditate
- Let go of mental patterns that do not serve us any longer
Things that you should avoid:
- Clinging to your emotions
- Overreacting to things
- Fighting with people
- Staying in your shadow side
6. Waning Gibbous (Grateful)
After the Full Moon Moon starts to decrease in size and lose her power.
After the celebration of the Full Moon, we can see how great life can be when we are present with our intentions and we are consciously working on our goals. Waning Moon is a time of gratitude and giving back to our circle of friends and families or even society. Think about all these ways you can express your gratitude: saying thank you and hugging your parents, taking your partner for a walk or dinner, saying to your kids how much you love them. This week might fill your heart with love and leave your credit card with a negative balance. Be mindful and find a way to share that works for you.
Things to do:
- Count your blessings
- Smile at strangers
- Being in your heart
- Expressing your love and gratitude
Things that you should avoid:
- Oversharing
- Overspending
- Holding back
- Being greedy
7. Last Quarter (Release)
The last quarter Moon is when we see the other half of the moon.
As the Moon is letting go of her power we start to feel it as well. We might have a bit less energy and start to become less involved in the outside world and look inside more often. This is a good week to process all the emotions that we experienced during the moon month. We for sure have some anger, attachments, grief, sadness, as well as happiness, joy, gratitude and compassion. We often leave our emotions unprocessed and they stay in our body as unwanted weight. Take some time these few days to organize your staff both internally and externally. What was a theme for you this month, what were you working with? What was the most common emotion for you?
If the Full moon is mostly about letting go of the big things last quarter is more about your regular clean up, things that we do monthly to keep our mind and body pure and happy.
Things to do:
- Reflect on your emotions
- Journal
- Have an honest conversation about your life with a friend or partner
- Try a mind or body detox
Things that you should avoid:
- Feeling guilty for your emotions or feelings
- Holding on to your emotions and not letting go
- Blaming others for things that happen to you
- Procrastinating
8. Waning Crescent (Surrender)
The Moon is decreasing and becoming a crescent again. Sides of the crescent point towards the right.
As Moon is almost gone from the sky our energy continues to decrease. We might feel tired and drained. We went through the whole month, we have done so much to achieve our goals. Now is the time for our well-deserved rest. Yes, things might have gone not the way we wanted. How about we try to surrender to the divine order of things and let them be exactly as they are? If surrender is something new to you and you are the person who likes to be in charge of everything it might be a difficult time at first. Discover your trust and relax. Let yourself just be and enjoy this simplicity.
Things to do:
- Find time for relaxation
- Stay home and take care of yourself and the people around you
- Schedule some alone time
- Let things be as they are
Things that you should avoid:
- Being in a crowd of people
- Overworking
- Try to control everything
- Try to fix people and things