In her post “to my surprise…” on her site Temporary Reality, “neighbor” writes about the experience of growing up gifted that many of us can relate to. Here is an excerpt [published here by permission]:
When I was little I was labelled Gifted. God, it sounds so bad to just up and say that. [...]
Do we need to create new beliefs?
By Morty Lefkoe
“The Lefkoe Method is very effective at eliminating negative beliefs. But why don’t you replace them with positive beliefs?”
This is a very common question so I decided to devote this week’s post to answering it.
For many years we did attempt to “install” positive beliefs—the opposite of the [...]
“I was at dance school doing about 35 hours practice a week until I was 14. Then ballet started to grate – the whole idea of trying to attain perfection started to ruin the experience.” Mia Wasikowska (“Alice in Wonderland”)
What’s so bad about perfection? Isn’t it what we all strive for? In her interview, excerpted [...]
“You have a companion. One that never, ever leaves you. It sticks with you, staying even closer than your shadow. It is like a leech sucking your blood, and you cannot shake it loose.
“This constant companion is your mental chatter.
“Another name for it is your internal monologue. It begins the moment you open your eyes [...]
Artists are depicted in movies and media in ways that often promote myths about what it takes to be a “real” singer, writer, actor, painter or other creator.
Buying in to the negative aspects of those depictions and myths – often subconsciously – can distort our sense of identity and limit what we think we can [...]
In her article, How To Stop Being So Hard On Yourself, excerpted below, expert on highly sensitive living Jenna Avery explains why sensitive people are so self-critical, and how we can stop:
Every time I work with a fellow sensitive soul, it seems like we always bump into some kind of fear or limiting belief about [...]
In her Creativity Portal article, You’re Not Mad, You’re Creative, Orna Ross invites us to rid ourselves of self-blame and criticism stemming from misunderstanding our creative abilities. With the help of an insightful self-test, we can revision our past and present experiences, and recognize, nurture and protect our gifts that may otherwise seem disruptive and [...]
The Psychology Today article, Field Guide to The Self-Doubter: Extra Credit, by Susan Pinker, excerpted below, brings insight into the thoughts and feelings many people have about being incompetent or impostors:
Not giving herself credit
Rosalyn Lang has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, has just completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University, and recently launched her own [...]
Here is a sampling from the article “Perfectionism and Depression: What to Do When Being a Perfectionist Drags You Down,” by Sedona Training Associates staff and Hale Dwoskin:
Do you ever think the following self-limiting beliefs?
* It’s not OK to make a mistake
* People will not like me if I’m not perfect
* I’ll avoid anything I [...]
Personal growth and achievement leader Brian Tracy writes about the importance of positive self-regard :
“Your self-esteem is probably the most important part of your personality. It precedes and predicts your performance in almost everything you do.
“It is the energy source or the reactor core of your personality, and how much self-esteem you have determines your [...]
The self-help ‘author’ Stuart Smalley, a fictional character created by satirist Al Franken on Saturday Night Live in the mid-90’s, had a certain goofy self-effacing charm, but a proclivity for psychobabble, using phrases often taken from common 12-step slogans, such as:
* “That’s just stinkin’ thinkin!”
* “You’re should-ing all over yourself.”
* “Denial ain’t just a river [...]
“Part of me suspects that I’m a loser, and the other part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.” John Lennon
In his article Would you like to stop worrying about what others think?, Morty Lefkoe explains some of the psychodynamics of low self regard, our need for approval, and how his program can eliminate “I’m not [...]
Being perfectionistic may be an attempt to be seen as superbly competent, and it can support the pursuit of excellence, but it is ultimately futile, and we can support our personal growth if we are less driven to be perfect.
Personal growth coach Molly Gordon says in her thoughtful video that being disappointing is about “living [...]
gifted adults, perfectionism, perfectionist, dealing with perfectionism, perfectionism books
Perfectionism is often an aspect of being a gifted and multitalented person, and can be an integral strategy in the pursuit of excellence and fuel for high achievement.
But being too perfectionistic can make us feel continually dissatisfied, and even hold us back from finishing – or even [...]
Many creative people report feeling incompetent, inadequate and having low self esteem at times. But there are ways to shift those feelings.
A number of film actors report they don’t watch their own movies. When you can be seen in close-ups on twenty foot high theater screens, it may be especially hard not to criticize your [...]
Criticism saps our passion for life
“Certain basic doubts keep Colin from enjoying a truly comfortable sense of superiority.”
In a series of podcasts adapted from his book Toxic Criticism, Eric Maisel, PhD talks about how “criticism and self-criticism interfere with our ability to find our life purpose and live as strongly, passionately, and effectively as we [...]
Acting dumb kept her from being a nerd
“I realized that acting smart or talented in school made me sound like a geek or nerd. So I remodeled myself as an airhead.” Yoky Matsuoka
Excerpts from a NOVA scienceNOW/PBS profile :
Robotics pioneer, prosthetics visionary, and 2007 recipient of a MacArthur grant, Japanese-born Yoky Matsuoka used to describe [...]
In her article The Need for Others, Anne Paris, PhD quotes Loren Long, an accomplished artist who has illustrated many books:
“I want [my wife and publisher] to like what I’ve done. I guess that, in general, I always need someone to like my work. If they don’t, my self-doubts come to the surface.
Anne Paris notes, [...]
Much of this site is about how self-awareness impacts our creativity and personal development. But self-exploration can also get obsessive, or we may not find the right people to help, as Helen Mirren notes in her new memoir. Here is an excerpt:
Part of my job as an actress is to do interviews, but while I [...]
