Day 86/366 days Towards Self-Mastery. Mood: totally bored with talking about wardrobe!
Early research by Albert Mehrabian in 1972 suggested that 93% of all communication was nonverbal. That 55% is body language and 38% is tone of the voice.
There's been considerable contention around this issue for all sorts of reasons related to the 3 variables mentioned, however my question is about all the things that aren't mentioned. Like posture, dress style, hairstyle, how you walk and move your body. Everything about you communicates a message about you.
Most of us miss that communication, however much of it is received subconsciously. Then we interpret it through our own lenses and who knows how inaccurate that first impression becomes.
Here's what's even more important. Not so much the communication that other people receive, but what we notice ourselves.
When we begin to notice just how much our whole presentation says about us, we can get some useful insights into the stories that we're holding onto and their importance to us.
Today's challenge is an extension of yesterday's.
To channel yourself through your creative choices.
Sarah's referring again to the choice of wardrobe here. So much can be communicated about you by your choice of wardrobe. The suggestion is that as you get to now yourself more deeply, more authentically, and you bring that authenticity to your wardrobe choices, your outer and inner expression becomes more congruent.
What do you think? Do you think this is true? Have you tried it?
All these ideas are a way of becoming more acquainted with the real you. If you can observe yourself leaving the office in the afternoon, or catching the bus in the morning, you'd be surprised at what you discover about yourself.
When I did this exercise in my study programme, I was amazed at how my heavy steps harked back to the one being singled out in the household.
My attention to the detail of packing my backpack and the checking and double checking told the story of being afraid to leave something valuable behind.
The straightening of my clothes was a reflection of the need to show up without flaws.
The straight path without a sideways glance told the story of not wanting to be noticed.
If you look more closely at yourself, you'll discover so much about yourself that you thought you'd forgotten or left behind. As you reflect back you'll realise that you are becoming more and more authentically you.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.