The Cinderella in you
By Nicole Irlbeck, Restoration Fitness
Poor Cinderella. All locked up, treated like a slave by her mean stepmother.
She dares to keep her positive attitude while cleaning and befriending the animals.
When the prince sends the invitation to the ball, she doesn't automatically believe she should stay cooped up and hidden. To stay behind with her "unworthy" and "unlovable" self would mean that everything that her stepmother and stepsisters said and believed about her was actually true.
So, Cinderella does everything possible, to get to where she knows she is invited and to arrive where she ultimately belongs. It is a beautiful story of a woman who has such a core belief in her value, worth, and unique character that she disregards her circumstances. In the end, her dreams come true.
How many of us can say that we ignore our circumstances, what others say about us, or even what we might have been told from a loved one in order to rise up to live out what we know to be our strengths? Each of us has a unique and pleasing personality when we allow are allowed to play our part in our own Cinderella story.
How are you stepping into your part? Do you face each day with dread for the duties you have agreed to that don't really matter to you? Who are you trying to please in your life? I challenge you to release your strengths and start living out of your inherent gifts, talents, and beauty. You are needed. Your life is special.
Try this meditation...
1) Picture yourself as Cinderella. Where are you in her story?
Are you...
Sulking in the tower?
Frantically trying to clean and be friendly to help make yourself feel more adequate?
Finding the joy in life as you embrace your essence?
2) What are you doing with your invitation to the ball?
Are you...
Becoming bitter and angry as you compare your life to those around you who seem to have it "together"?
Squelching your heart to keep the peace around you and maintain the status quo?
Stepping out in faith and living with confidence that you are loved, needed, and worthy?
3) How are you responding to your lost slipper, or the inevitable reality that life is hard even when your dreams and desires are strong?
Are you...
Striving harder and expecting more out of yourself and others?
Giving up and letting go of hope?
Finding new ways daily to expect only good regardless of your current circumstance?
You may think Cinderella was unrealistic to believe in her dreams of a better life. But, the alternative is to believe that life will never change and that we are destined for pleasing everyone but ourselves. Which will you embrace in the new decade to come? You already have the lead role in your story, so, how will your part play? If you have any doubts, think through these lyrics from Cinderella’s classic refrain:
"A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. In dreams you lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true"
Nicole Irlbeck began Restoration Fitness out of her love of exercise and her desire to see women making the choice to love their bodies. She incorporates her Masters degree in exercise science, passion for authentic beauty, and athletic performance & rehabilitation experience with women (and buddies!) of all ages and levels to deliver a fun and effective wellness programs. Nicole can be reached through her website at www.restorationfitness.net or by phone at 303.482.6290.