“Your Daily Dose” is a quick two minute read packed with bite-sized wisdom from all the great teachers. But you could also choose to turn it into something more… a powerful daily practice for personal growth. Give it a try!
A message from today’s meditation:
How do you see your SELF? When you look at yourself, what do you see?
Do you realize that what you see when you look at yourself is most likely to be a story that you were told over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over… you get my point right…?
How do you even know what your name is?
Your name was repeated to you from all around you SO many thousands of times, that you started BELIEVING that THIS is who you are. And if you so easily formed a belief about your name, how would you know if anything that you believe about yourself is true and not just a story you were taught? After all, if a different name was repeated around you, you would have a completely different belief about who you are wouldn’t you?
You have to understand that how you were taught to see yourself, was a reflection of the beliefs of the people around you, and not a representation of actual truth. I recently watched a 5 year old boy draw a picture and show it to his mother who – with all the good intention in the world – proceeded to point out to him everything that was wrong with what he had drawn.
This happens innocently in another hundred other ways every day for about two decades of his life. Is it any wonder that this little boy grows up to have a deep unspoken belief that “everything about me is wrong.”
You will NEVER rise above the view that you have of your SELF. If you don’t upgrade the way you see yourself, nothing changes. But know this… when you change the way you see yourself, everything changes.
“Love sometimes gets tired of speaking sweetly and wants to rip to shreds all your erroneous notions of the truth that make you fight within yourself, dear one, and with others, causing the world to weep on too many fine days… The Beloved sometimes wants to do us a great favor: Hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out.” – Hafez
“Remember for just one minute of the day, it would be best to try looking upon yourself more as God does, for She knows your true royal nature.” – Hafez
“I wish I could show you… the astonishing light of your own being.” – Hafez
The view that you have of yourself was imprinted on you by a collection of people who were reacting – in their turn – from the way they were raised. How you were taught to see yourself had very little to do with “truth” and was much more based on the beliefs and fears of the people around you.
“I wish that I could show you the astonishing light of your own being…” what if these were the words repeated to you as you grew up? What if all the best parts of you were pointed out to you thousands of times during your formative years? Would you see yourself differently today?
I promise that it’s not too late to change the story. In each of our journeys we are given the grace to realize that how we were shaped as children was not within our control, but how we continue to be shaped as adults is a divine responsibility that we can choose to sign up for, or ignore. You can choose to become the loving parent of that inner child. You can choose to change how that child is spoken to now. You can decide to start speaking to yourself differently.
Your “work” is to decide whether you accept the old view of yourself that was handed to you. And if the answer is NO, then the responsibility is yours to do the upgrades needed. Your job is to have new conversations with the old versions of you. To have a new conversation with the inner child. To have a new conversation with the young adult. To have a new conversation with the part of you that feels hurt, the part of you that feels scared and the part of you that judges you so harshly.
When you change the way you see yourself, everything changes.
A few thoughts to affirm your light:
- “I am more than the stories I have been told.”
- “I am capable of more than I think I am.”
- “I am worthy of love, respect, and fulfillment.”
- “I choose to believe in myself.”
- “I am my own source of light.”
Today’s meditation is an opportunity to create an updated view of how you see yourself. Become open to recognizing the astonishing light of your being!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: A sense of self.
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/PnUm1_2M0rY 2025
https://youtu.be/tl-bt5Ofl-k 2024
https://youtu.be/kLIc4J8l68o 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAp34d8StvI 2021
Practice the “Daily Dose”
Let’s put it into practice! Choose what works for you – daily, once a week or whenever inspiration strikes. Putting pen to paper wires the neural pathways that will create your new habits.
1 – Affirmation
Write down your favourite affirmation on a sticky note and place it somewhere that you’ll be able to see it the whole day.
- “I am more than the stories I have been told.”
- “I am capable of more than I think I am.”
- “I am worthy of love, respect, and fulfillment.”
- “I choose to believe in myself.”
- “I am my own source of light.”
2 – A moment of reflection
Use today’s question as a journal prompt. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, just take a moment to reflect on your response.
Uncovering Your Inherited Stories: Think back to your childhood and the messages you received about who you were. What specific words, phrases, or descriptions were repeated to you most often by parents, teachers, or other influential figures? Write about how these repeated messages shaped your self-perception. Then, with compassion for both yourself and those who gave you these messages, explore which of these inherited beliefs about yourself you’re ready to release. What would you choose to believe about yourself instead?
3 – Quotes to share
Send a quote to someone who needs it, or share them all on social media to spread the good vibes!
4 – Q&A for deeper learning
Read through the questions and answers and write down at least one “aha moment” that clicked for you.
1. What does it mean that “how you see yourself is just a story you were told”?
From the moment you’re born, you’re constantly receiving messages about who you are from parents, teachers, siblings, and society. These messages get repeated thousands of times until they become your internal beliefs about yourself. Just like you learned your name through repetition, you learned to see yourself through the lens of others’ perceptions, fears, and limitations. The key insight is that these perceptions aren’t objective truth—they’re interpretations filtered through other people’s own conditioning and experiences.
2. How can I tell the difference between my authentic self and the conditioned self?
Your authentic self is the part of you that feels most alive, creative, and at peace. It’s the “you” that emerges when you’re not trying to meet others’ expectations or defending against criticism. The conditioned self, on the other hand, is driven by the need to prove, protect, or perform based on the stories you were told. Notice when you feel expansive versus contracted, when you’re responding from love versus fear, or when you’re acting from your own values versus trying to gain approval.
3. Isn’t it too late to change how I see myself as an adult?
Absolutely not. While it’s true that our formative years shape us powerfully, neuroplasticity research shows that our brains can form new neural pathways throughout our lives. The key is understanding that while you couldn’t control how you were shaped as a child, you can take responsibility for how you continue to be shaped as an adult. This requires conscious effort and practice, but transformation is not only possible—it’s your birthright.
4. How do I practically begin changing the way I see myself?
Start by becoming aware of your internal dialogue. Notice how you speak to yourself, especially during difficult moments. Then, consciously choose to become the loving parent to your inner child. This means speaking to yourself with the same kindness you’d show a good friend. Practice catching negative self-talk and replacing it with more truthful, compassionate responses. Remember: you’re not trying to become someone else—you’re removing the false layers to reveal who you truly are.
5. What if the people in my life resist my changing self-perception?
This is common because your changing self-perception might challenge the roles and dynamics you’ve had with others. Some people might feel threatened when you stop accepting limiting beliefs about yourself. Remember that their resistance is often about their own fear of change, not about you. Stay committed to your growth while being patient with others’ adjustment process. Surround yourself with people who support your authentic self-expression.
6. How does changing my self-perception actually change my external circumstances?
When you change how you see yourself, you naturally begin making different choices. You might set healthier boundaries, pursue opportunities you previously thought were “not for someone like you,” or stop accepting treatment that doesn’t align with your worth. Your energy and presence shift, which affects how others respond to you. You also become more attuned to possibilities and resources that were always there but invisible to your previous self-concept.
7. What’s the difference between this approach and just positive thinking?
Positive thinking often involves overlaying optimistic thoughts onto unchanged core beliefs, which can feel forced and unsustainable. This approach is about recognizing that your limiting beliefs about yourself aren’t actually true—they’re just stories you inherited. Instead of trying to think positively about a “broken” self, you’re discovering that the “broken” self was never real to begin with. You’re not fixing yourself; you’re remembering who you actually are beneath the conditioning. This creates lasting change because it addresses the root rather than just the symptoms.