Working on Your Inner Awesome!

After watching a video on YouTube, I was inspired to write this article. The message was something along the lines of “Think like a genius, communicate like a kid”. So, I pencilled this piece, wanting so badly to communicate clearly to you. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think in the comments section or drop me a WhatsApp or e-mail. Here goes…

Have you ever felt like your self-esteem is stuck in a place you don’t like, such as a dim, cold corner? Like your dreams are far; many planets away from you, while your confidence is like a scared character that quivers and flickers like a dying candle? If you feel this way, fortunately, you’re not alone. Millions of us struggle with feeling good about ourselves. We are constantly battling the spooks of self-doubt and insecurity. But you know what? There is a way, a ‘secret key’ if you will, to unlock the treasure vault of self-worth and ignite a fire of venturous confidence. It is a way of being, an approach to life, a school of thought that is not about dimming your light, but about burning it brighter than ever, fuelled by the very necessary wisdom of compassion and connection. It is the kind of wisdom that doesn’t earn you worldly accolades or badges but opens your eyes to the reality that you can learn every single day of your life if you are humble and open yourself up to the teachings that life will always send your direction. This approach is such a refreshing mix of concepts that you can drink from it daily and add self-esteem to your daily diet.

Some of us even have a negative relationship with the idea of having self-esteem. But perhaps it’s time to begin thinking of this approach as a secret superpower that fuels your self-esteem and empowers you to:

• Chase your dreams with laser focus, knowing you’ve got the inner fire to make them a reality.
• Embrace your unique quirks and flaws, transforming them into badges of authenticity.
• Build rock-solid confidence, not arrogance, and do so not from external validation, but from your own inner fountain of worth.

You might have already guessed it, but we call this self-mastery approach Audacious Humility, and it isn’t a feel-good buzzword; it’s a practical structure. It’s like a roadmap to navigate the terrain of self-doubt and emerge on the other side, basking in the sunshine of self-confidence.

Let’s make it practical; here are the seven pillars of Audacious Humility that guide you on the way to unleash your inner awesome:

1. The Core (Higher Self / Essence / Orchestration): When you connect to your deepest values, your authentic self, the wellspring of your confidence, your resilience, and your inner fire, you gain freedom from doubt, and you believe in yourself and your abilities. Your confidence begins to overflow. This should be your power source. To unleash your inner awesome and fuel your self-confidence, tap into this power source, and let it guide how you journey towards self-love, self-acceptance, and audacious living. This power source is the kind that urges you to fully embrace audacious living; an approach to life where you gather the courage to dream of a future where you are not afraid to pursue your innermost desires but embrace the mindset that says “Hey! You’re not there yet, but if you are humble enough to learn, bold enough to go for it, disciplined enough to do what it takes, and persistent enough despite the challenges, then you have a chance of getting there. And it’s worth pursuing!” at the same time!

2. Purposeful Living: When it comes to self-esteem, and Audacious Humility as a whole, you need to align with the thinking that you have more than one “why.” When you do this, you immediately embrace what we just mentioned in the core. When you find a ‘why’ for one of the audacious goals or visions that you’re pursuing, you find a guiding star that lights up your soul and gives your endeavours meaning. This isn’t just about personal ambition; it’s about aligning yourself with something bigger than yourself, something that makes your heart sing. It could be more than one thing! With this in your superpower backpack, amazing things happen to you when no one is watching – which is when it matters most – where you’re able to recalibrate your life when things are moving too rapidly, stagnating or everything in between. You’re able to bring yourself back to ‘what am I doing and why am I doing it?’. I promise you; no one needs to hear you say this out loud or even see you do it or know about it, but this level of control can boost your self-esteem so much that others might think you’re ‘on something’.

3. Health and Well-being: Unleash your inner awesome by nurturing your mind, body, spirit, connections, environment, growth, and inner compass. Exercise regularly, eat healthy, prioritise sleep, find ways to de-stress, and work on your finances, nutrition, mental health, emotional well-being, social and community engagement, communication, spiritual well-being, personal values, mindfulness… and the list goes on and on. A healthy you is a confident you, ready to conquer any challenge with a smile. Can you imagine what power you gain by having a grasp on all these things? Even if they are not perfect, you’re just aware of them and have laid out plans (where possible) of where you need them to be in future. Can you see it? Think about what this does to your self-confidence. I can tell you, that it adds a little fire to your soul and takes your self-esteem out of that dark, cold corner.

4. Self-Awareness: One of the things you might discover as you embrace living with Audacious Humility is that everything is connected in this approach. The elements we’ve discussed so far require some level of self-awareness. Right? So, take an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses. Do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of yourself. This could mean, having a ‘meeting’ with yourself where the agenda item is you. Explore yourself, your life, your past, present and future, and look at every element you can bring to your mind in terms of its SWOT. Once you’re done with this exercise, which is not about self-punishment (although it can feel like it), you will gain such a better understanding of yourself that you are in a better position to navigate life’s twists and turns with grace, audacity, excellence, and sometimes even humour; boosting your self-esteem, lighting the fire of your inner awesome!

5. Skills and Knowledge: In light of making things practical, let’s tell the truth – you can learn anything if you really put your mind to it. Of course, some things are harder than others to learn, and some might even seem possible, but I want to say that when you live with Audacious Humility, you will know that it’s not always about what you get, but who you become in the process. So, dare to be a life-long learner. When you realise just how much you don’t know and are not looking for things to pump your ego, you can easily bring yourself to a place of humility. But at the same time, I’m saying, that right after you exercise humility and know that life is an existence of this duality, immediately pump your boldness and audacity to learn something new or better. Continuously learn and grow. Whether it’s mastering a new skill, devouring a book, or attending a workshop, keep your brain buzzing and your curiosity ignited. The humbling thing about being a lifelong learner is that you know that you will never know everything but you can know a lot, and that’s just so nourishing for your self-esteem.

6. Community Engagement: The point of living the Audacity Humility includes having an awareness of the world within, around and beyond you. It’s such a simple thing to state but its magnitude cannot be overstated. On the one side of community engagement is knowing that “motho ke motho ka batho”, translated simply “I am because you are”. It’s a basic principle that we are not alone in the world. So, we have a responsibility, to whatever degree, towards others – in our families, communities, or the environment/world at large. Activities and commitments such as volunteering, mentoring, or simply offering a helping hand not only enrich your community but also boost your own sense of purpose and belonging. Let’s stop here for now… but remember; you and the world matter!

7. Relationships and Partnerships: Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you, push you to better yourself, have compassion, audacity, and humility, and celebrate your victories. Build and create strong connections that are like anchors, keeping you grounded and reminding you of your worth. Be aware of your biases in relationships and understand the value currency in your relationships – whatever nature or form they may take. Just like in health and well-being or self-awareness, implement strategies, tactics and tools to measure, nurture, monitor and develop or maintain your relationships, ensuring that they align to and with your core. They must feed your “whys”. Imagine if all the people or organisations who you would list in your “Relationships and Partnerships’ pillar/element had done the work prescribed in the Audacious Humility way of living. What do you think that would do to your self-esteem? I think it would be awesome, but I’m biased ?

I want to wrap up the article by saying the following:

Remember, Audacious Humility isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Every step you take, every challenge you overcome, and every time you choose self-compassion over self-criticism, is a victory for your self-esteem. It may take time, but it’s an adventure work taking. Unleashing your inner awesome is an adventure worth pursuing!

Audacious Humility is a transformative self-mastery approach where the pursuit of excellence, growth, balance and harmony intertwines with bold humility, compassion, and oneness. We create material and content that align with wanting to ignite and connect with our innermost selves, creating an external world that aligns with our innermost desires. If you like to explore the Audacious Humility canvas for Growth Seekers, check out the here: https://www.ubuntucation.com/the-holistic-growth-canvas/

I invite you to join the movement of audacious self-love, share your experiences, ask questions, and connect with me and others in the comments below. Together, let’s build a community where self-esteem shines brighter than ever before!

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Audacious Humility Channel for even more stuff!