Whom do you admire? Think of someone you hold in high regard, respect or look up to. What qualities do you admire in them? Take a moment and write down your thoughts—you’ll see why later!
For example, I admire Pema Chödrön. She is a teacher of the highest caliber. She lives authentically and teaches deep spiritual truths in ways that are so practical, helpful, and human. I also admire Peter Bregman. His topic is leadership. My sense is he also lives very authentically, and teaches deep truths in very practical ways.
Try this. Complete this sentence: I, ___________ (fill in your name), like _________ (fill in the name of the person you admire) am ___________________ (fill in the all the qualities of the person you admire).
I, Kate Harper, like Pema Chödrön and Peter Bregman, am a teacher of the highest caliber, living authentically and teaching deep truths in practical, helpful, and human ways.
Wow. I can barely write that in this blog post. It is too lofty, yet it deeply resonates with me. If I quiet my ego for a minute—Who do you think you are? you’re no Pema!—and listen to my heart, I am called to find ways to be a teacher, to live authentically and share my truth is practical ways.
What wants to be expressed through you?
The qualities you admire in others are a clue to what wants to be expressed through you. You can explore yourself by exploring the individuals you admire. Try this: pick at least three people you admire. What do you admire about them? Write down their qualities as your own. For the next week, each morning read what you have written. Listen beyond any ego thoughts—Who do you think you are?—to your heart. What wants to be expressed through you?
I would love to hear your experience with this practice.
P.S. I don’t know if you guessed it, but my writing this blog article is a result of my own admiration exploration. Yesterday I was feeling like I am watching too much TV and not living fully. So I took a look at whom I admire and it came to me how much I love Pema and Peter. They might be watching a lot of HGTV, but I doubt it. So why not get out there and do some writing/teaching myself? And so I have.
If you’d like to learn more about Pema Chödrön go to http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/. Or about Peter Bregman go to http://www.peterbregman.com
