When in Reactive Brain,* we may experience feeling less than others, often labeling ourselves with “low self esteem” issues. Or, we might be feeling better than others, possibly being labeled as the “arrogant asshole.”

What if, however, we don’t actually have low self esteem issues or problems with being an arrogant ass? What if these are just survival responses that pop up while inhabiting Reactive Brain? What if improving your self esteem doesn’t require years of therapy, but instead the ability to shift your state into Creative Brain?*

Creative Brain is so incredible. When I’m in Creative Brain, I know who I really am – outside of all my cultural and societal labels. I know that I don’t have to do or be or have anything to feel better about myself; in Creative Brain I have access to the inner knowing that my value and worth are a given simply because I was born.

In Creative Brain, I am connected to myself, to others, and to the world. I can see that there is no better than or less than because we truly are all equals – regardless of our education, life roles, personalities, or socioeconomic status.

If you’re feeling stuck on the better than/less than scale, I see you. I’ve personally spent a lot of time here and can still get swept up in it when I’m reactive (like, just yesterday :)! Instead of going down the path of believing something is “wrong” with you or your self esteem, however, can you begin to normalize the better than/less than experience as simply part of being in Reactive Brain? What would it be like to also normalize this experience when interacting with others? What if that “arrogant ass,” is just doing the best he or she can while inhabiting the very compelling and uncomfortable states of Reactive Brain?

Today, know that Creative Brain – your essence – is always available to you, at any moment, and that feeling connected and seeing yourself and others as equals, might just be as simple as learning how to shift your state.

*Julie Colwell coined the terms and concepts of Reactive Brain and Creative Brain, which encompass all of states of consciousness – both those of reactivity/threat as well as those of expansion/rest and digest.