Self-Esteem
Courtesy of the Heart
Guest Blogger: Nancy Oelklaus
Last week I heard Augie Garrido, the winningest college baseball coach, speak. He said one of the greatest challenges in coaching is to help players learn how to focus and maintain inner confidence and peace regardless of what is happening on the field or in the stands–even if the people in the stands are booing.
As a different kind of coach, this is also my greatest challenge–to lead people to inner peace that is stronger than any circumstance. The best intentions can be shattered when someone with a big personality hijacks our emotions and takes us to a state of mind where we never wanted to be. Or something that looks like disaster befalls us. Or our own thoughts hijack us, and we begin to censor either ourselves, another person, or a situation that doesn’t please us.
For many months, I have been focusing on courtesy of the heart in my morning reading and meditation. Every morning I read these words, “Courtesy of the heart welcomes new ideas and people, feels joy instead of fear, sees with fresh eyes and appreciates rather than criticizes what it sees.”
Centered in courtesy of the heart, may you find peace in every circumstance that comes your way today, inner and outer. May you have courtesy first to yourself and then to others.
There is a courtesy of the heart. It is akin to love. Out of it arises the purest courtesy in the outward behavior.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
About the Author
Nancy Oelklaus is a personal life coach based in Austin, Texas and the author of Journey From Head to Heart: Living and Working Authentically as well as Alphabet Meditations for Teachers and co-author of Rewriting Life Scripts, with Liliane Desjardins and Irene Watson.
Nancy Oelklaus leads Hye Road Retreats with horseman Lindy Segall. Learn more at www.HeadtoHeart.com.