The human being is invaluable. Each and every one of us is invaluable. However, our way of relating to the environment leads us to place value on things and people.
This is how in traditional education, students are evaluated based on their ability to acquire and assimilate pre-established basic knowledge, without taking into account that not all of us have the same abilities. As a result, one person may feel “less” than another, for the simple fact of not understanding something.
If we rate a fish on its ability to climb a tree, we will surely say that it is “unable” to do so, just as if we rate a monkey on its ability to swim, we will say that the fish is superior.
In the same way, one person may have excellent math skills and be lousy at drawing, while another may have excellent drawing skills and not be able to do a mental math. Valuing one or the other for their inability to do something, instead of understanding what her abilities are, could lead that person to feel inferior, directly affecting her self-esteem.
The question to ask then is: are we really qualified to effectively evaluate others? And adding to this concept, are we aware of what our real value is?
A story cited by Mario Alonso Puig addresses this concept excellently. In this story, a situation is described in which a boy justified others thinking, feeling and acting with him, as if he were of little value. One day he begins to question this and enlists the help of a wise man, who offers him, in exchange for his help, the task of selling a gold ring for two gold coins.
The child undertakes the task, but meets people who are not willing to pay that price, claiming that it is an excessive price. Disappointed, he returns to the wise man, who suggests he seek the help of a ring expert. When the boy shows the ring to the expert, the expert offers him not two, but fifty gold coins.
With the good news he returns to the wise man, who reflects: “in life, you have to ask those who know”.
As with the ring, if we want to find our true value, we must not be guided by “the market”. The key is to challenge the rule and enhance our skills. In fact, when we think of examples of people who stand out or stood out in a specific area, we see that achievement lies in having focused the effort to develop their strengths, leaving aside their weaknesses.
The axis of the question is to know ourselves. In this sense, there are many ways to do it, being mindfulness a very powerful tool to achieve it.
This technique focuses on the present. Concerns about the past and the future give way to an advanced awareness of the “now,” which includes awareness of feelings, sensations, and the environment. As a result, not only is an improvement in mental health achieved, reducing anxiety, preventing depression, increasing concentration and increasing bodily satisfaction, but also a full self-awareness is achieved that helps to understand what our abilities and skills are. strengths, thus achieving to be our “best version”.
The basic exercises of this technique include becoming aware of our being through the recognition of our physical sensations and our thoughts, to then focus our attention on our breathing and the environment that surrounds us. Conscious breathing consists of bringing attention to the body, which serves as an anchor, letting the mind wander naturally. Then, noticing the distraction, return the attention to the body. This simple practice, done routinely, will allow us to get to know ourselves more deeply, giving way to an extreme awareness of our being.
Ellen Langer, author of “Mindfulness” states that “When you think you know things, you stop paying attention” and consequently miss out on opportunities. According to her, everything is changing all the time, and if we perceive a certain stability in the world around us, it is because we are falling into a trap in our mind. “When we start looking at familiar things as if they were new, everything becomes more interesting.”
Data to know more: Instagram: @yoelfreue
PH: Ezequiel Negri. IG: @phnegri
Social media enhancer: Exequiel Sand. IG: @exequielsandok
Location: Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt IG: @palacioduhau
by CEDOC
