Today is the Feast of St. George.
Why do I know this, you ask...
Well, it also happens to be my birthday, and every year on my birthday at the church I attended growing up (which was called St. George), they put on a skit in which St. George rescues the damsel in distress and slays the dragon.
And every year, I couldn't wait to be old enough to be the damsel.
Well, that never happened. Oh, I got old enough - however we moved away and I never had the chance to play the damsel.
Reflecting on this today has me thinking about these roles and how we act them out in our daily lives. As a girl I dreamed of being rescued. As a woman and an entrepreneur, I know that I am my own rescuer.
However, sometimes that damsel in distress still appears.
She shows up when I'm faced with a challenge I don't know how to overcome, when I lose direction, or when I begin to question my abilities or decisions.
She is the voice of self-doubt that pulls me into darkness. And if I let her, she will hold me there...
And then the dragons will come.
As I progress through my journey as a woman and an entrepreneur, the damsel appears less and less, and when she does I'm able to recognize her faster. I'm able to stop the dragons before they come.
When I recognize myself becoming the damsel, some strategies that help me stop her in her tracks include:
Gratitude - I write down what I'm thankful for and say it out loud, reminding myself of the goodness in my life
Positive Affirmations - I look at myself in the mirror and say words out loud that will remind me of my own worth
Meditation - I get back in touch with the deepest part of me who knows and loves all that I am
Nature - I take a walk or go for a bike ride and experience the joy in all the small wonders of the world
Often, I'll do all the above.
Because here's the truth. I am not a damsel. I am a beautiful, loving, unique gift to the world who shows up in human form. I am a capable, confident, successful entrepreneur who has no limits to what I can achieve.
I am all these things. And so are you.
So pick up your sword, and start slaying dragons!