The Teacher Who Made Me Feel Small—and What I Learned About Authority

This story is from my friend Jeri Taylor:

“Mrs. Webber was the new teacher in town and I was assigned to her 4th grade class. She must have been a big city gal because she dressed fancy and had the BIGGEST hair my 10-year-old self had ever seen!

With her nose in the air, she seemed distant, uppity, and like didn’t want to get to know the majority of her students. 

She played favorites and only liked the popular kids.  Her little darling of the class was Jackie. I think it was because Jackie had BIG hair and dressed fancy like Mrs. Webber.

She resented having to spend time in our little town and couldn’t wait for her husband to be transferred to a new location with the US Forest Service.

In her class I knew enough to keep my head down, stay quiet and not ask any questions. She scared me; I was terrified of being singled out, criticized or embarrassed by her in front of my classmates. 

Have you ever felt uneasy or uncomfortable when being around someone in a position or authority or power?  This fear can be attributed to different reasons, such as past experiences, interactions with authority figures, or the beliefs you were raised with.

We fear those in authority because we a have a greater fear… we are afraid of their judgment, rejection, or criticism and we feel inadequate and unworthy when we are in their presence.

You may even experience physical symptoms such as your face turning red, feeling sick to your stomach or a tightness in your chest when they are around.

If you are ready to get rid of those uncomfortable feelings and emotions when you are near someone in authority… Here is my #1 tip:

Spend time everyday showing love and learning to love yourself. Do the work… release the emotions… and soon you will realize authority, position and power don’t really matter.

What does matter is recognizing that the people you think have clout are more similar than different from you, and someday when you have the opportunity to sit down and have a visit, they will seem like old friends.”

Conclusion

I felt alone so much in my life because I thought I wasn’t pretty enough, not wealthy enough, and just not enough. Low self-esteem is found in the lower back. If you’re experiencing lower back pain, please schedule a reflexology session. It will help you to heal emotionally and physically! Sending love, Lynne