So very often, I question my own abilities, doubt myself and feel inadequate. Sometimes I wonder if it is wrong to think that way. Thing is, it is something that comes naturally and I can't help it. Although there are many who tell me to just put such thoughts aside and just live life naturally, I find myself in a snag.
I constantly question myself as to what I have learned and how I may have improved on a daily basis. I guess that's how I benchmark myself and keep track of my progress. I set monthly goals to achieve, and I mean rational, achievable goals. Basically goals that are more incline towards personal growth. About 4 months ago, I began to find myself in a snag finding myself stuck and somewhat on a down trend. In addition, a personal SWOT analysis churned out rather disturbing results. Ultimately, it all lead to my decision to move on from my current job - audit.
I have had feedback from numerous people that think I have been pushing too hard too soon. I have had people saying I might be having a complex.
Did some praying, looking around and I bumped into this interesting literature.
You Are Enough
The root of most of our problems is a faulty self-image. But three little words can help us have a happier life...
By David J. Walker
Undoubtedly, the catalyst behind many successes in the world is a need to prove something because one feels inadequate, but the best path, the path that satisfies the soul, is one of completeness at every step of the way. Taking this path makes living a joy, because it doesn't postpone that feeling of being enough. Being enough is not something we achieve. It's something we are.
The most satisfying path, then, isn't so much what we are accomplishing as what we get to be, while we are accomplishing.
We get to be the creative power of the Universe, conscious of itself. We get to be whole, complete, enough!
The purpose of life is to satisfy the soul, and though acknowledging your accomplishments can help in this effort, it cannot take you the full distance. The only thing that can satisfy your soul is an answer to the question, who am I? You are an individualized expression of Life, of greater consequence and magnitude than anything you will ever accomplish.
When we focus on the fact that we are enough now, the beginning, the middle and the end of every journey—whether it's finding a mate or getting a better job—is filled with a sense of well-being. We may complete an experience and even be thrilled by the outcome, but we know that we are no more complete than when we started out.
You see, we are either enough right now or we're not; and if we are, then we're challenged by our enough-ness to live that way.
The problem is, most of us don't listen to the inner voice that says, "You're enough because you exist." We ignore it because being enough doesn't fit the image we have of ourselves. We have spent so much time thinking of ourselves as not being enough that enough-ness seems very far away. We may have a sense of being surrounded by the Life Force, but we forget that the Life Force is also within us. And if the Life Force is within us, we are enough.
How easy it is to be Bible-oriented and still gloss over one of its most important statements, "Man was made in the image and likeness of [the Life Force we call] God." And if the Life Force is enough, we must be enough.
Being made in the image and likeness of God isn't something we have to strive for. It's something we must have the courage to accept.
The root of all of our problems, then, is a faulty self-image, because the natural tendency of mind is to surround itself with whatever it has embodied. If I embody fear and doubt, I will surround myself, to one degree or another, with people and circumstances that reflect fear and doubt. If, however, I embody faith and trust, I will surround myself with people and circumstances that reflect faith and trust.
I constantly question myself as to what I have learned and how I may have improved on a daily basis. I guess that's how I benchmark myself and keep track of my progress. I set monthly goals to achieve, and I mean rational, achievable goals. Basically goals that are more incline towards personal growth. About 4 months ago, I began to find myself in a snag finding myself stuck and somewhat on a down trend. In addition, a personal SWOT analysis churned out rather disturbing results. Ultimately, it all lead to my decision to move on from my current job - audit.
I have had feedback from numerous people that think I have been pushing too hard too soon. I have had people saying I might be having a complex.
Did some praying, looking around and I bumped into this interesting literature.
You Are Enough
The root of most of our problems is a faulty self-image. But three little words can help us have a happier life...
By David J. Walker
Undoubtedly, the catalyst behind many successes in the world is a need to prove something because one feels inadequate, but the best path, the path that satisfies the soul, is one of completeness at every step of the way. Taking this path makes living a joy, because it doesn't postpone that feeling of being enough. Being enough is not something we achieve. It's something we are.
The most satisfying path, then, isn't so much what we are accomplishing as what we get to be, while we are accomplishing.
We get to be the creative power of the Universe, conscious of itself. We get to be whole, complete, enough!
The purpose of life is to satisfy the soul, and though acknowledging your accomplishments can help in this effort, it cannot take you the full distance. The only thing that can satisfy your soul is an answer to the question, who am I? You are an individualized expression of Life, of greater consequence and magnitude than anything you will ever accomplish.
When we focus on the fact that we are enough now, the beginning, the middle and the end of every journey—whether it's finding a mate or getting a better job—is filled with a sense of well-being. We may complete an experience and even be thrilled by the outcome, but we know that we are no more complete than when we started out.
You see, we are either enough right now or we're not; and if we are, then we're challenged by our enough-ness to live that way.
The problem is, most of us don't listen to the inner voice that says, "You're enough because you exist." We ignore it because being enough doesn't fit the image we have of ourselves. We have spent so much time thinking of ourselves as not being enough that enough-ness seems very far away. We may have a sense of being surrounded by the Life Force, but we forget that the Life Force is also within us. And if the Life Force is within us, we are enough.
How easy it is to be Bible-oriented and still gloss over one of its most important statements, "Man was made in the image and likeness of [the Life Force we call] God." And if the Life Force is enough, we must be enough.
Being made in the image and likeness of God isn't something we have to strive for. It's something we must have the courage to accept.
The root of all of our problems, then, is a faulty self-image, because the natural tendency of mind is to surround itself with whatever it has embodied. If I embody fear and doubt, I will surround myself, to one degree or another, with people and circumstances that reflect fear and doubt. If, however, I embody faith and trust, I will surround myself with people and circumstances that reflect faith and trust.
I appreciated your succinct reminder, "you are enough."
ReplyDeleteI suspect that, from time to time, most of us question our own abilities, doubt ourselves and feel inadequate. Sometimes we lose sight of the power within each of us. I know I do. But, by now, I've also learned that if I'm looking outside myself for the answers, I'm going to end up very disappointed!
Thanks for sharing!