For folks to coexist harmoniously within community, we need rules of interaction, but I'd like to throw politeness out the door and replace it with authentic kindness.
Too much emphasis is placed on caring what other people might think. What if we instead attended to how we feel, and practiced cultivating the skill of expressing ourselves authentically, and with kindness?
Can I be kind and honest and authentic all at once?
One of the challenges to authenticity is to not be motivated by the judgement of others. Growing up as a competitive figure skater and a dancer (where bodies are regularly judged not only on performance but on arbitrary aesthetics) I was deeply affected by what others thought about me, in sport and in everyday life.
Fast forward to the last 10 years... what blew my mind in Feldenkrais is how I have come to know myself from the inside, cultivating my inner authority and expressing my true voice. I have come to know myself without the judgement and self-loathing that came with not fitting cultural stereotypes of gender, beauty and value.
This subjective Feldi exploration is a practice in being kind to yourself while being truly authentic. It's a mindset that has seeped into all my relationships as a true game-changer. I like myself more, and I am less judgmental of myself... and more forgiving of others! Talk about a win-win-win!