'No-one likes you'.

Oh, that old chestnut again 🙄 This phrase is a common whispering of my ego, one that I've become more aware of lately.

It popped up just a couple of days ago when I was on a call with a group of very powerful, accomplished women. One of them (an articulate, courageous Dr.) messaged me in the chat me saying 'Hi Elisa! So good to see you. X (an investor and author) were talking yesterday about how we'd love to meet up with you more regularly.'

My first reaction was surprise: 'She wants to be friends with me? But no-one likes me'.
Clearly, this is an untrue and very limiting belief. Nevertheless, it is present, just like so many other limiting beliefs we carry.

For me, this belief stems from childhood, from years of merciless bullying at the hands of certain girls, a couple of judgemental adults, and even my friends who liked to put me down on occasion.
In my childhood mind, I internalised other people's behaviour as 'no-one likes me'. It was a great strategy of my ego - if I believed it, it would stop me reaching out, stop me connecting deeply with people, and keep me small - it would stop me getting hurt.

The problem, however, is it's not true. And it has stopped me from creating powerful connections with people. It's cost me goodness knows how many years of my life in playing small.

But that's all cool. Because it's in the past, and as Byron Katie says 'all thoughts of fear come from an imagined past or an imagined future'. In the present, I know it to be true that people do like me. I like people. I love them, actually.

If you're not where you want to be in your life, career, finances, family, etc, I encourage you to become aware of what the voice in your head is whispering to you. I encourage you - with all the love in the world - to take action to bringing awareness to those beliefs and letting them go.

You were born noble. An incredible human being. Capable of untold majesty and greatness. Listen to THAT prompting. And take action.

(Warning: taking action on this stuff will feel scary. Scary is good. It's where the jewels lie).

Be loved, loving you.