Listen to this episode to be inspired and learn how you can use your unique gifts and talents to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous!
Show Notes:
Episode Summary:
Today we are diving into positive territory with a topic that we think will grab your attention- How to Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented and Fabulous!
We didn’t make up that description, it comes from author, teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson. If it seems like a tall order, or an impossible achievement- stick around as we share how you can not only be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous, but how you can help others to shine their own light brightly.
In this episode:
This following is a summary of the key points in the podcast. In the podcast we often add stories or personal examples. For the full experience, please listen to the podcast.
Introduction:
Be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous- we’ll have some of that- how about you?
Who wouldn’t want to be described as brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Let’s start by sharing the source of this phrase. It’s one you might have heard or read before, a poem made famous by Marianne Williamson in her best- selling book A Return to Love which is at its essence, a book about living from love not fear.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Wow. There is a lot of power to unpack there. This is more than just being brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. It also speaks to us as role models and how when we step into our own light, we allow others to step into their light as well.
This poem offers a lot of promise and a positive message for all of us, and educators specifically.
An Example for Educators
Michele: I first remember hearing this poem in the movie Akeela and The Bee, which came out in 2006. It stars a very young Keke Palmer with Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Larabee, her coach.
Akeelah is a gifted eleven-year-old in inner-city Los Angeles. She doesn’t understand her talents, or believe that she can learn or that she has any control in her future. She is headed down a troubled path, she’s failing and truant which requires her to attend summer school.
The school district wants to improve their status by winning the National Spelling Bee. They bribe Akeelah into trying to win the spelling bee by getting her out of summer school. They engage Dr. Larabee to coach her.
Akeelah is very resistant, she thought she could just show up and get out of summer school without doing anything. In a moment of frustration, Dr. Larabee asks her to read the poem out loud. Then he quizzes her.
Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?
Akeelah: I don’t know.
Dr. Larabee: It’s written in plain English. What does it mean?
Akeelah: That I’m not supposed to be afraid?
Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?
Akeelah: (she hesitates, then speaks softly) Afraid of… me?
At that moment, she begins to understand that she has something to share and that she could be powerful. It is a turning point in her life.
Akeelah starts to take her learning seriously and becomes surprised at what she doesn’t know, but aware that she can learn it.
That is not unlike all of us-we might be afraid of putting ourselves out there and achieving something big. Once we believe we can accomplish something, we are far more likely to go after it.
How can you believe that you can be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
You might be someone who already believes in yourself. You have a lot of confidence and are not afraid to go after what you want and what you believe that you can have, and that you believe you deserve.
For some of us, this requires more understanding and some practice. We’ve got a couple of tips that can help.
Understand how your thoughts work.
The science and understanding of our thoughts and how they work has grown in the past few years.
- Our thoughts are essentially patterns of neural activity in the brain. When we think about performing an action, specific neural pathways are activated, which can then lead us to take that action.
- Our thoughts, which are how we interpret a situation, determine the emotions we experience, which also influence our actions. So, our thoughts and the emotions behind them become our actions.
- Repeated thoughts and actions can create neural pathways that become ingrained as habits, turning certain behaviors into automatic responses.
- Actions can also influence our thoughts; for example, performing a positive action can shift our mindset to a more positive outlook. The more we act in positive ways, the more we will continue to act in positive ways.
In short, what we think, then act on, becomes our habits which in turn create our reality.
So, how we take this knowledge and apply it?
How can we apply positive thoughts in real life?
Change your thoughts and your feelings and actions will change.
For example, at the beginning of a yoga class, laying on a mat on the hard floor is not very comfortable. But by the end, it can feel like the most comfortable mat ever. It is in the difference of perspective of your mind and body from the beginning of the class to the end.
Let’s look at the be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous language and translate that into thoughts.
Be brilliant.
What do you think about your intelligence? What do you say to yourself?
Do you say things like:
I’m not smart enough to do that, or
I don’t have a good enough education,or
I don’t know how to do that,
you are telling yourself that you can’t know or learn or do something. You are stopping your brilliance from coming through.
Look at the opposite:
I am smart, I have figured out lots of things so I can figure this out as well.
Which kind of statement is likely to result in your taking action towards something that could end up showing your brilliance?
It is an example of the Henry Ford quote, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
Are you allowing negative thoughts about your intelligence to prevent you from speaking out, learning something new, or being open to growth?
Be gorgeous.
Here is an example we have all experienced. You’re late, and don’t have time to get ready for the day. The outfit you wanted to wear is dirty. You start out the day feeling unready and frumpy.
How is your day going to go? Are you going to speak up in a meeting and share your idea or solution? Probably not. When you don’t look your best, you usually don’t act like your best either.
We’re not talking about being a supermodel here. You can look at feel gorgeous any day – confidence in yourself makes you gorgeous.
Consider what makes you look and feel gorgeous- then make an attempt to feel that way every day.
This is the old “act as if” idea. Act as if something is true and it often becomes true.
Be Talented.
Akeelah didn’t understand that she was talented. Therefore, she never did anything that showed her talents. She could have been an A+ student, but she was failing. She needed others to help her see her talents.
You might already understand your talents. Then next question is, how are you using them?
Are you hiding your light to make others feel better about themselves or to keep from seeming like you are special? Or are you trying to fit in by acting like everyone else?
If you aren’t using your talents, where could you use them in your life?
Paula: We have all had those students who did not do well in school, because the structure of school did not work well for them. However, once they were beyond the confines of the K-12 system they became great welders, mechanics, dancers, parents and the list goes on and on. Their talents did not lie in sitting in a desk and completing standardized tests but when they got into fields where they could express their talents, they became successful in a way that many of their more academic-minded peers could not.
Michele: I have worked with some talented educators who are great leaders in their schools. When I suggest that they would be a great principal, they are often shocked. They say things like, “But, I don’t know how to be a leader”. I can instantly tell them multiple things that they are already doing that show me they are a leader. It is often eye-opening to them. If you aren’t seeing your talents, ask people who know you well what your talents are. You’ll be surprised at what others see in you.
Be Fabulous.
The word fabulous is a great word. It can pretty much mean anything you believe it means. What is fabulousness? It can mean good, or exceptional, or remarkable, or memorable. It can mean that you are fun or lively. It can mean that you admire someone or appreciate their gifts.
Being fabulous is a compliment. It shows that you are putting yourself out there and doing something good.
Being fabulous is also a state of mind. You are constantly putting signals out into the universe. What kind of signal are you sending?
I’m poor, downtrodden, and pitiful? Nothing ever turns out for me. I can’t do anything right.
You are announcing that you are angry and bitter. Life sucks. It is unfair.
We’ve know people who act like that and they are difficult to be around.
Think of the opposite. What do you think when you hear positive things?
Michele: One of my husband’s regular comments when something isn’t going well or it’s not going the way we hoped is, “things have a way of working out.” What does that statement lead you to believe about him and how he might handle a frustration?
Paula: I think of the quote I heard once by Coco Chanel. I couldn’t remember the exact quote but knew it had the word fabulous in it so I looked it up to share. Here it is, “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” Those nine little words, describe how she lived her life. It is no wonder, with a life motto like that, that she was named to Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. She believed she should be fabulous and she made it happen, she lived it.
What would it look like if you felt fabulous and put out those kinds of signals?
Acting on your thoughts in a positive way can send out positive and consistent messages. Keep doing this every day and your thoughts become your reality. Change your thoughts and you can change your life.
Conclusion:
Even better, when you are sending out positive thoughts and actions into the world, you are opening the doors for others.
In the words of Marianne Williamson,
“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Recap:
Our thoughts are very powerful. We can live from fear, hiding our light. We can ask, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Or we can recognize our gifts and our worth and use them in the betterment of ourselves and others.
Quote:
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
Henry Ford
“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”
Coco Chanel
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Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?
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Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.
Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.
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