Happy Winnie the Pooh Day!
I was recently rather delighted to discover that I have the same birthday as Winnie the Pooh! And I wasn’t sure how I’d got all the way to my age not knowing this until now.
I’m a big fan, and one of my favourite quotes from this adventurous (and occasionally reckless), honey loving, freakily wise bear is this:
“You’re braver than you believe,
And stronger than you seem,
And smarter than you think.”
Words, I think, that we need to keep saying to ourselves, like a mantra, when someone else is trying to belittle us, undermine us, ridicule us, or hold us back.
Toxic behaviours are not a gift. They are not kind. They are not helpful.
If anything, they are rooted in fear, defensiveness, uncertainty, scarcity and insecurity, and projected onto others to avoid ownership.
They are all about the person who is the source of those behaviours, and nothing about the person or people on the receiving end.
So if you find yourself on the receiving end of someone else’s toxic behaviours, ask yourself these questions…
💜 If I am braver than I believe, then what could I do that’s brave right now?
💜 If I am stronger than I seem, then how do I want to own my strength right now?
💜 If I am smarter than I think, then what am I telling myself that’s true right now?
Listen to your answers, not to the toxic person who doesn’t know you at all.
Listen to your heart, because your strong, wise heart speaks the truth.
Be who you are, live by your values, only let in what you know to be true.
And remember, Winnie the Pooh is by your side and cheering you on! Along with the rest of his pals.
