TED talks are all the rage lately, and rightly so, as they have an inspiring spirit to them that leave you feeling like you can make the world a better place. TED talks always give me the warm fuzzies, but this one in particular made me cry for joy. Amy Cuddy talks about how our body language can shape who you are. She shares her research on "power poses" and how positioning your body to show you feel power (or even just faking it if you don't actually feel powerful), causes reactions in those around us, as well as within ourselves. Although I grew up being told to show my confidence in my posture, and used this trick in job interviews, as well as most situations in which I felt intimidated, I loved the way Cuddy told her story about "faking it" until she became it. The term "fake it 'til you make it" has always bothered me, but the idea of a placeholder, in this case "power poses", that helps you become who you want to be is enlivening. Instead of wishing for more confidence we can just be more confident with our bodies and our actions.
Since watching this video power poses have become a part of my life. I have tried sleeping in power poses, practiced power poses before leaving the house, and even used power poses while going to the bathroom. All of these practices have made me feel more powerful and helped me do what I wanted to do with less fear and more confidence. I took it to another realm and decided that instead of trying to figure out how to have more faith, I was just going to be more faithful. Using simple, faith-oriented actions like prayer, service, temple attendance, etc. I was more faithful, and to my astonishment (but not really), increased faith followed suit.
Along with Amy Cuddy and her research, I believe that our actions, from how we hold our bodies to how we treat ourselves and others, shape who we are. Doing the things the person we want to be would do, we become the person we want to be, just as doing the things Christ did and taught us to do, we become the people God wants us to be. ADSENSE HERE