The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

I came for a loaf a bread and ended up shaking my buns instead.

www.grateful4.org

Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful-for the feelings of complete coherence and clarity coming in waves that brings tears of joy

Intention-being comfortable with discomfort is a good sign at this time

First-stroll and chat

Things-RJ visualization

Morning Platitude from The GratiDude

There are certain concepts and things that I’ve learned over the last handful of years that once you hear the term or the explanation, it seems very logical.

It also makes you wonder why it took you so long to hear about such term or such a concept when it makes so much sense and could be so valuable to so many people if it were to be talked about in a more open common fashion.

One such concept along those lines is something called permission levels.

I learned about permission levels from one of my mentors, Dr. LJ Rose, a Super Sherpa and supporter of the Grateful 4 Organization and one of the Founders and Directors of the Natural Wellness Academy. Dr. LJ is a pioneer in the world of hypnosis and guided hypnosis and is responsible for introducing me to the concept of permission levels.

This is the concept that is unbeknownst to us: We have a ceiling for expression we allow ourselves relative to our displays of emotion. This is particularly true within the realm of happiness or joy where permission levels or lack thereof become a great opportunity to explore our own limiting beliefs, and what our internal dialogue truly looks like.

Permission levels often get lowered when we consider other people’s opinions are impressions of our behavior as being more important or relevant than the natural expression of how we truly feel.
For example, “ I would jump for joy right now, for example however, that might be socially inappropriate or not common behavior, and I don’t want people to think that I am strange or to draw attention to myself so I will limit this expression of joy at this moment”.

For me, this reminds me of a constant state of anxiety that I would experience at as an adolescent teenage middle schooler. That social paranoia of Slauson Jr. High, constantly double checking myself, wondering how my appearance was and comparing how I thought I looked to how other people looked was very tiresome and stressful. Back in that period of my life the only time myself or my friends would be comfortable fully expressing ourselves was when we were alone in our own group isolated from other people. That was when we felt safe.

That is no way to live.

The true exercise is about being your own best friend and getting comfortable loving yourself unconditionally.

More times than not, and I’ve been guilty of this for extended periods of my life and that is feeling more comfortable being kind and loving to our friends and even strangers then we do ourselves. As I found out firsthand that is simply not sustainable.

I was reminded of this when I read about a person‘s experience doing an extended silent retreat with no verbal communication at all. You can imagine there were a lot of learnings that occurred. However, the biggest takeaway for this person was that the silence and the stillness allowed them to really appreciate themselves for all of their struggle and hard work and to learn to love themselves unconditionally and to be their own biggest cheerleader and fan.

I have never heard anyone articulate that this was the takeaway from a silent retreat however, I bet everyone that has been through such an experience with corroborate that that was a takeaway for them as well, a deeper sense of compassion for themselves and their own journey and experience.

Yes, people often restrict their self-expression due to various factors like fear of judgment, societal expectations, or the desire to maintain relationships, even if it means expressing themselves inauthentically.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Fear of Judgment and Rejection:

Many people are hesitant to express their true selves because they fear being ridiculed, criticized, or rejected for their opinions, beliefs, or behaviors.

Societal Expectations and Norms:

Cultural norms and societal expectations can pressure individuals to conform and suppress their individuality, leading to self-censorship.

Maintaining Relationships:

People may choose to limit their self-expression to avoid conflict or maintain harmony in relationships, even if it means compromising their authentic selves.

Insecurity and Low Self-Esteem:

Individuals with low self-esteem may be afraid to express themselves because they worry about being seen as inadequate or flawed.

Lack of Self-Awareness:

Some people may struggle to identify and articulate their own thoughts and feelings, making it difficult to express themselves authentically.