Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Thought of the day!

No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent!
Have you ever felt inferior to someone, looked at them and wondered why they made you feel small or less important, maybe even a little stupid?
I know that I have! For many years I have struggled with feelings of inferiority (in many areas one of which is my height!) For many of you that know me and for those who don't, I am 4'10" tall, which is not that big in the greater scheme of things. My whole life I felt that if I could have reached 5", I would have been fine! What a foolish notion!
Then I met someone who could not see that I was 'short', they could not understand why I felt and thought the way I did, to this person I was no smaller or taller than anyone else. No, this person was not blind, but it was how they 'looked' at me! I began to wonder how someone who is 6" tall, could not see how 'small' I was? I began to see myself in their eyes. I began to lose my 'inferiority complex' about my height. I stopped trying to be taller!
To clear things up, the person who looked at me in a completely new way is my beloved husband Ivan. It is over 20 years ago now that I met this wonderful man, who gave me the gift of freedom, from my own feelings of inferiority, not immediately, but over the years. He gave me such a gift, because it was through him that I realised it was only my own feelings that made my height such an issue. No-one else cared! I was the person who made it matter! Only through giving people permission in my own thoughts, did I allow any comment/look/issue to 'hurt'. I gave people permission to judge me, because I did it for them - myself! I pre-empted their reactions, comments and attitudes. I put my thoughts into their words.
I wonder what you feel inferior about? Do you give people your consent to make you feel inferior? I think you would be surprised to find, that most of the time, our own thoughts are far more critical and damming that the thoughts of others.
Don't give anyone permission to make you feel inferior! We are all gifts from God, made in his/her image and if he/she is perfect, then so are we!!
Beverly

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

My issue is with the label "At Home Mum" ... always Much Harder to live with when talking to people from the Corporate World. Angel Julie and I discussed this over the weekend and both felt the same. Why is it that we feel Inferior to Working Women?

Great "Thought", Bev.

Beverly said...

I agree Michelle, Elizabeth and I were talking about how we immediately ask someone what they do, as though it is this that makes them who they are! I am not a 'stay at home Mum' I am just Beverly or maybe Vesta!

Anonymous said...

How about being a management consultant, after all you manage, you are asked to manage all sorts of things from broken hearts, finances, chief cook and bottle washer and so on it goes, I rather like the term Management Consultant.
Inferior thoughts, oh boy these can eat into you hour after hour till you no longer believe in yourself. I felt that for so many years of my life, was allways told, "No you can't do that", "You are no good at adding up things" Then my wonderful husband, daughter and son made me believe in myself and I now clap my hands with excitement when I give an answer in adding up things before they even do. I keep congratulating myself now about being such a clever girl !!

Beverly said...

Mom, I am glad you have your confidence and you are wonderful.

Jenny Adams said...

I have to say Beverly I have met you only a few times at Michelle's house, but I don't recall short or tall, only having fun scrapbooking or card making at Michelle's craft table!