8 Little Reminders

Notes to a Covert Narcissist:

1. Just because you sit quietly, does not mean you’re successfully hiding the storm raging in your mind.  Your silence can’t always hide what is written on your heart.

2. Your fear of speaking up is your challenge.  You should not resent others because they are brave enough to express themselves.  Choose to feel inspired by the success of others and their joy instead of rejecting them because they intimidate you.

3. Just because others are confident and assertive, does not mean that they are against you.

4. People who speak up are often trying simply to get a conversation going.  It does not mean they are trying to initiate a conversation that will stand in direct opposition to you and your ideas.

5. Just because you see clearly the faults of others, does not mean you do not possess a list of shortcomings yourself.

6. Just because you hold certain qualities to be pure and true, does not mean that you actually possess those qualities yourself.

7. Your terrible fear of being judged has made you shamefully judgmental of others.

8. Stop assuming everyone is against you.

– CS

Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem

I came across this article on the Harvard Business Review Blog and I found it to be very interesting.  It does not take a cheesy, self-help tone at all, and it’s relevant even to folks like myself who exist well outside the inner circles of the “business world.”  In fact, this article lead me to others like in on this blog.  A very pleasant find and some good reading ahead for yours truly.

– CS

To Succeed, Forget Self-Esteem

“Self-compassion is a willingness to look at your own mistakes and shortcomings with kindness and understanding — it’s embracing the fact that to err is indeed human. When you are self-compassionate in the face of difficulty, you neither judge yourself harshly, nor feel the need to defensively focus on all your awesome qualities to protect your ego.”

Read full article here…