How often have we heard that, or even uttered those very words? We may say them in jest or even to chastise someone we feel is trying to order us around or it might just be contrariness, but every joke has a kernel of truth at its core.
When we allow the opinions of others to influence how we think and feel about ourselves, we let someone else be the ‘boss of us’. This can be damaging, demoralizing, and leads us to live a lie about ourselves. This type of lie – about who we are based upon the opinion or meme structure of another person (no matter who they are) – is so destructive it can take a lifetime to overcome.
Every time we buy in to what someone says about us, we give our power to that person. We invite that person to come live in our brain, become a squatter in our temple, rule our world…make us miserable to the extent that we allow it.
As better minds than mine have said, what others think of me is not my business. My business is to learn how to live congruently with my true self and my purpose in this life. Besides, what someone says or thinks about me usually tells more about the person doing the talking or thinking than it does about the subject of that conversation!
Step one in the process of taking back our power is to learn to love ourselves, accept ourselves for the miracle we are. We buy into negative thoughts about ourselves because we believe something is wrong with us, that we lack some vital ingredient. We were sent here whole and complete, lacking nothing. The trick is to realize it.
Once we come to that realization of wholeness, we can truly say “you’re not the boss of me!”