Image by Sundust_L via Flickr
If you’re like me, you’ve probably read many books, blog posts, and articles about accepting your ‘whole’ self. We’re told to embrace the ‘totality’ of our being — to be our authentic self. How many of us actually accept our ‘whole’ self? Unfortunately, not many of us do. Even though we say, “I love and accept myself or I love and accept myself just the way I am,” we still deny or are afraid to be who we truly are. I say the time has come to REALLY love you — love ALL the parts of you.
Why don’t we accept ourselves?
I’ll use myself as an example. Somehow, I got it into my head that I can’t be spiritual and enjoy interests such as Rock, Classic Rock, R&B, Metal, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Pop, Dance, Electronic, Techno, Classical, Punk, and some Rap music. Somehow, I started to believe that I couldn’t listen to the music I liked and gravitated towards. What happened? To quote Pink Floyd, “I had a momentary lapse of reason.”
No one has the right to tell us what we can and cannot like. And, who says that listening to all types of music isn’t a ‘spiritual’ experience? Who’s the judge? Why do we take to heart what everyone on the planet says? It doesn’t mean everything we read or listen to is the ‘be all, end all’ for us. Take what you like and leave the rest.
I also have a confession to make; I used to have somewhat of an ‘edge’ to me. I would speak my mind and voice my opinions without any problem. However, since I began my ‘spiritual/transformational’ journey four years ago, I started to lose my edge. I loved my “Rock N’ Roll Edginess” but started to deny that part of me because I thought it wasn’t acceptable because I was immersing myself in spiritual/metaphysical topics. I began to believe and feel I couldn’t speak my mind or share my opinions for ‘fear’ of backlash from people. And there it is. Fear, it’s the four-letter word that gets in our way.
I like that I have a bit of an edge, but it doesn’t totally define who I am. Why should I deny it? What’s so bad about having a bit of an edge? Heck, it works for Jillian Michaels and Suze Orman. These women get in peoples’ faces about losing weight and feeling great and getting a handle on finances, respectively speaking. They’re not ‘wishy-washy’ when they’re helping others. They get down to the ‘nitty-gritty’ or heart-of-the-matter to help people change their lives. They’re honest and raw, and I respect and relate to this. They don’t ease up until the people they’re helping take responsibility for their lives and admit the ‘truth’ to themselves. They get down to business and come up with a plan of action for people to follow.
BTW: If the Duchess of York can work with Suze Orman, anyone can!
The solution
It’s time to stop denying who are. If you have a bit of an edge to you, embrace it instead of denying it. If you enjoy listening to music from the 1940s, embrace it and crank up the music. If you enjoy art and want to begin painting, go shopping for art supplies. If the people in your life don’t like it, it’s not your problem. The only person you really have to please is yourself. If you don’t you’ll become bitter and resentful; this is no way to live your life. Peel back the layers and get to know who you are. A little self-examination is good for the soul. Start embracing your ‘entire’ self and you’ll feel better tomorrow.
Rebecca
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- Sarah Ferguson: Finding Her Self-Worth (money.usnews.com)
