Have you ever felt like a stranger in a foreign land, or even in your own neck of the woods?
I've been in France for 8 months. It's interesting living in another country for so long and not speaking the language, ho hum... I'm taking French class by the way, but still struggling to speak. A lot of time I feel like maybe I came from another planet, maybe Venus, and landed smack dab in the middle of the French Riveria.
Not always nice in Nice, or is that a thought?
I've met some really welcoming, warm, kind people here and I've also had encounters with the Devil, namely, one of my infamous French professors (the other two were literally angels). So when I walk in a room I'm always a little worried, and frankly I just don't like feeling this way anymore. I want to be my normal confident self, but without the language, I just can't quite seem to muster my usual Self. She shys away, waiting for the familiar confused reaction that feels like, "I've just been spotted again as an alien." It's the Sorry I have no clue what you are saying response, "Are you an alien?" "Well no I didn't realize I was... but on second thought yes perhaps Madam / Monsieur, I quite well feel like one today."
Thoughts Create Feelings, so thinking I was an alien was not helping me...
I understand that my thoughts create my feelings, my feelings drive my actions, and my actions create the results I get in my life. I teach this stuff all the time to my clients right? Well, I sure get to practice what I preach while I feel like the alien that I truly sometimes am here. So I found this quote the other day by one of the teachers I've studied, Byron Katie, that I decided to adopt for my time here in France. It goes like this:
"When I walk into a room everyone loves me they just don't know it yet."
—Byron Katie
Sometimes I find what I call my "holy grail thought" and this one hit the mark of my third eye like only a good ol' 11 minute kundalini meditation can do. Thank you Bryon Katie, you dynamic woman you, you have changed my life forever in France. When I think this thought, instead of feeling like a weirdo here I get to feel LOVE. Let's just repeat it for the sake of fun:
Now when I walk into a classroom, a store, a restaurant, a shop, or out the door of the villa I am staying in I get to feel loved because people just aren't aware of how they will love me when they get to know me! Truly what this thought does is reminds me, "I'm ok, I'm lovable, even when I stick out like a sore thumb and I speak garble." And that my friends is the magic of thought work!
Get some of your thought work groove on, I promise you, you'll feel better. Here are some more of my absolute favs by Byron:
"When I seek your approval, I don't approve of the Me that is seeking the approval"
"My experience is that I don't need someone to complete me. As soon as I realize that-- everyone completes me."
"Good News! Whatever you Fear, will never happen and has never happened Now."
"It's not your job to like me, it's my job to like me."
"Place only your kindest thoughts on everyone you experience today. Meet yourself."
—Bryon Katie
I hope you got some gems here. A little mindbendy, but perfect for those times when you feel like an alien.
Love to you all. My hope is that you practice the art of self-acceptance always.
