When I was younger, my parents often times reminded me to walk with my head held high and gaze straight ahead, as it was indicative of confidence level. To this day, I can still hear their voices telling me to put my head up.
Just for the record, I have no self-esteem issues. I enjoy who I am, am confident that I can achieve whatever I set out to do, and love myself for every last blessing and flaw that composes me. That being said, I still walk with my head down.
Don’t get me wrong, when I saunter down the runway my head is in the clouds. It is outside that I watch the ground as I stroll, and there is a reason for it.
No, it’s not to avoid stepping on a crack- my mother’s back is already injured, no worries there (love you Mom). I walk with my gaze on the ground to avoid stepping on the things smaller than I in life, and I have a theory that goes along with it.
I’m 5’8” and 123 pounds (at the moment) and that ranks me on the grand scale of life where? To me, nowhere. I don’t see myself as the top of the food chain, or bigger than (insert smaller things here) or better or smarter than everything beneath me. Instead, I am just a part of the a planet that I share with many different living things both large and small. I am no better or no worse than any of them. That being said, I have no reason or excuse to step on things beneath me; bugs, lizards, frogs (employees lower on the totem pole…get my drift?).
So I walk outside with my head down. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped others walking next to me as they were about to squish something bigfoot style. It all comes down to respect. If we can have respect for the simplest things in life, we can have respect for one another as well. On that note, if we could stop judging others for something as simple as looking down, that would make the world a better place too. The truth of the matter is- if you are busy looking at (or judging) someone else- then you are not watching where you are going or paying attention to your own life.
Lastly and most importantly, do not base your self-worth on anything other than your own thoughts. If someone thinks something of you that is not true, then they simply have not had the pleasure to get to know you.
Eyes open,
Stephanie
