Written by Corene Summers
June celebrates Pride Month, but for many, Pride Month is really about acceptance. We all desire acceptance, and when we don't receive it, it can strike deep within us.
As we celebrate Pride Month, I want to encourage you to think about what being proud (of who you are) truly means to you. As a proud gay woman, to me pride has always been about acceptance. Not the external acceptance of my family and the world around me, which is not always present, but acceptance of myself and all that makes me beautiful and unique - including my challenges/struggles.
We all desire love and acceptance from others throughout our lives, and when we don't receive it, it can strike deep within us. So we must build our own "internal armor.” A system to help you create a steady source of love, strength and pride within yourself, regardless of the external challenges in your life at the time. In meditation we use affirmations to empower us. Affirmations are positive uplifting statements we repeat to ourselves over and over, to program them like new software for your mental computer. When used as a daily practice, you’ll find they begin to empower you in your daily life and help you build more positive mental frames and belief systems about who you are and what makes you amazing and unique. It builds these beliefs deeply, from within, so that they hold strong regardless of what you may be dealing with from the people and situations in your lives without.
To practice on your own, set a timer for 1-5 minutes and choose some of the following affirmations to repeat either silently or out loud. Stay fully present with absorbing the power of the words as you repeat them:
My courage is stronger than my fear.
I remain kind and I keep going.
I am true to my own path.
I have a valuable contribution to make.
I believe in myself.
I deeply love and accept myself.
I am beautiful exactly as I am.
I am courageous, bold and strong.
I am all that I need to live a joyful life.
I am free to be me.
What affirmation would you tell yourself or others when you need to build your internal armor?
Build your internal armor on the meditation.live app daily.