On your Worth…

I could not forgive myself.

In 2015 I had TWO yoga studios. The first was the flagship studio in the heart of Brisbane, and the second was a stunning space in Teneriffe that opened in 2015. There was so much excitement around the opening of studio number two, the community was growing and vibrant, I had a fantastic team, and life was feeling full of promise. 

But I had really messed up. 

I got the projections all wrong and took on a lease that was much too big, and I had to close that beautiful space after about 15 months. I disappointed so many people; students, staff, investors, myself. I could not stop berating myself. My feeling of failure was making its way into my relationships, and my sense of worth.

One day Layne took me aside and said: “Honey. You have to stop this. You did not go into this project intending to let people down. You didn’t intend to hurt anyone. You genuinely did your best, and now you need to assimilate the lessons you’ve learned and forgive yourself so you can move forward. I went back to his words many times in the months that followed. 

Aside from the obvious business-related lessons, I learned something else:

Self-worth is not the same as self-esteem. 
Self-esteem is derived from things like our achievements, social standing or physical appearance. Self-worth is the sense that you deserve to be loved and cared for, to take up space here on Earth.

Yoga philosophy tells us that we are valuable and worthy simply because we ARE…
It takes courage to let go of the conditions you’ve placed on your worth. It’s hard to forgive yourself when you’ve let people down. It can be scary to fully embrace who you are. But understanding your inherent worth brings a feeling of being at ease in your own skin, being equally composed during your highs and lows, and gives you permission to care for yourself so you can offer your gifts to the world. This is arguably one of the most important things we can do, not just for ourselves, but for the people in our lives. It’s the opposite of being narcissistic or self-centred.  It’s being self-responsible. 

YOU are the most significant factor in how you feel about yourself and your life. Please care for yourself tenderly.