Becoming Your Own Role Model
Dora Kamau discusses the journey of becoming your own role model, emphasizing the need for self-compassion and courage as explored in Headspace's mindfulness courses.
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(air whooshing) (mouse clicks) (bright music) Headspace Studios. (ethereal music) Hello, world, welcome back to Radio Headspace and to Wednesday. So, I recently started teaching a weekly meditation class at my friend's new studio in Inglewood, California, which, I will say, I had been manifesting for two years. But I'll speak on this in another episode. Last week, I was speaking to the different stories that play out in our minds. There's the stories we tell that liberate us, and then there's the stories that we tell that cause us more struggling and strife. And so, I asked the group, what are the stories you tell yourself that keep you stuck? One lady who, as soon as she walked into the studio, I felt her wisdom and presence. Maybe it was the black leather jacket she was wearing or her slicked-back gray hair. But she had an energy that felt very wise. You know the type of person I'm talking about. So when it came to her time to share in the circle, she said she's been telling herself how she'll never become who she hopes to be. And then she briefly paused and said, "And this is a burden and a freedom because who I'm wanting to become, there's no reference point for. I'm becoming something I've never seen, and this also gives me the freedom to create that." Now, I'm not kidding you, but there were no dry eyes in that room after she had said that. And the collective exhale was palpable. (rain pattering) I think what resonated so deeply with everyone is when we're in pursuit of creating ourselves, of becoming something, oftentimes, we can get discouraged because we know where we're going but we may not have a tangible vision for what we're after. We have this deep, profound sense of a calling, and yet, that calling may not have a physical form just yet. I have a journal entry from my fourth and final year of nursing school where I shared a similar story. I wrote, "I can't lie. I have this undeniable, unshakeable fear of what my life will be once I'm done with school. Although I am a dedicated and committed student of life, this institutional burden has stuck with me since I was five. That's almost 22 years of identifying with this role. And as I prepare to complete my degree, this fear of what's next continues to grow stronger." I vividly remember my thoughts around, am I in the right field? Have I made the right decision? Is this my true calling or am I just settling for what I know and what I've been told? At the same time, my community events were beginning to take off, and that stirring of teaching meditation full-time was turning into an eruption in my heart. I was constantly thinking about what this other thing could turn into. And sometimes, what we're after requires us to be the blueprint. We're being invited to become...
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- More about Andy
A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.
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Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.
- More about Dora
As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.
- More about Kessonga
Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.
- More about Rosie
Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.
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