My life isn’t perfect.
I make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes I tumble and fall. I am a work in progress. And when I remember that simple fact, I am better for the experience.
It’s easy to start on a path of change and get so busy doing that we need to do that we forget to stop, breathe, and acknowledge the effort we’ve already made.
There are times when I have to be reminded to do for myself what I do for others. The other day, a friend caught me denigrating the work I put into a project because it wasn’t done perfectly. When she asked how it was coming along, I said, “I can’t seem to get it down perfectly. It’s horrible.” I then spent ten minutes – which was as long as she could tolerate my ranting – downplaying the work. She couldn’t believe she was listening to me. “You could be one of your clients,” she said. And how right she was. At that moment in time, I needed to be coached into a different way of thinking. I needed an attitude adjustment.
Change is hard work, and allowing ourselves to get to the healing is even harder. It takes great effort to stay on a path that leads to purposeful self-discovery. It takes energy – persistent energy – to be an active participant in the creation of our lives. A healing path requires having the courage to shine a light or allow a light to shine on parts of ourselves that we’d rather keep private.
Appreciate your effort.
It means having the courage to see the work that still needs to be done, AND honor and appreciate the effort that you’ve made. What gets in the way of doing that?
- Fear of being seen as arrogant, conceited, and selfish (this is particularly a problem with women).
- Not good at honoring ourselves out loud. We may do it in private, but God forbid we tell the world.
- Not knowing how to honor ourselves. Often we’ve never done it before, and more likely, it’s never been done to us.
- Feeling guilty. Since others who are equally or more qualified haven’t been recognized or don’t recognize themselves, we feel we shouldn’t acknowledge ourselves.
- Not knowing the right words to use to accurately describe how we feel.
- Fear that we might be seen as taking credit for something.
It’s important to honor the journey we are on. It’s crucial for our own well-being and mental health. So how do we do it?
- Make a commitment to yourself to honor what you do. All that means is acknowledge the successes you’ve regardless of how small. Appreciate every effort.
- Know that if you don’t honor yourself, even if others do, it will be an empty win. Outside love will never be able to effectively fill up the hole within you.
- In your journal each night, write a gratitude list that includes some actions you’ve taken that you are grateful for.
- When someone gives you a compliment about an action you’ve taken, graciously say, “Thank you.”
Today I invite you to affirm that you will honor your healing journey and you will appreciate your own efforts!
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