People all over the world, especially women & girls, fall into the trap of comparisonitis.
It’s when we look at other people {women} & say things like “I wish I had a body like that” or “Why don’t skinny jeans look like that on me?” or “I wish I could get my hair/skin/nails etc. to look like that!” Sometimes it’s more subtle but we hear (& some of us say) it all the time.
Some of us never accept ourselves for who we are & as a result never get to that higher level of self love. Others just continue to manipulate themselves to try to get to that point.
Lately I’ve been hearing people repeat a saying that’s been around since the beginning of time – “Everyone wants what they don’t have” as it relates specifically to physical appearance. I haven’t heard anyone say it in a long time, so I’m surprised how much I’ve heard it lately especially given how far we have come in accepting so many different standards of beauty.
Every time I’ve heard someone say “I guess everyone wants what they don’t have” I would either think to myself or say out loud “Not me”. At first I felt bad about thinking/saying that – like maybe it sounds self-righteous or like I’m “full of myself”.
I’m not.
Truth is I have spent a long time discovering myself, learning, accepting, & loving who I am – inside & out. How great would it be if we all took the time to do that? How great would it feel to empower one another when we have those moments of doubt? We all have them & they are perfectly normal
Today’s affirmation helps to keep me grounded in knowing that accepting who I am is the ultimate form of self love.
Good morning friends. Today, let’s consider an insightful affirmation about self-discovery and empowerment as noted by the brilliant author Melody Beattie: “While driving one day a woman’s attention focused on the license plate of the car ahead. The license read: “B-WHO-UR.” ‘How can I, she thought? I don’t know who I am!’
Some of us may have felt confused when people encouraged us to be ourselves. How could we know ourselves or be who we are, when, for years, many of us submerged ourselves in the needs of others?
We do have a self. We’re discovering more about ourselves daily. We’re learning we’re deserving of love. We’re learning to accept ourselves, as we are for the present moment – to accept our feelings, thoughts, flaws, wants, needs, and desires. If our thoughts or feelings are confused, we accept that too.
To be who we are means we accept our past – our history – exactly as is. To be ourselves means we are entitled to our opinions and beliefs – for the present moment and subject to change. We accept our limitations and our strengths.
To be who we are means we accept our physical selves, as well as our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves, for now. Being who we are {in recovery and healing} means we take that acceptance one step further. We can appreciate ourselves and our history.
Being who we are, loving and accepting ourselves, is not a limiting attitude.
Accepting and loving ourselves is how we enable growth and change. Today, let’s do our best to be who we are. If we’re not yet certain who we are, we will affirm that we have the right to that exciting discovery!
~~ Chaplain Roger Ward
