Do a quick Amazon search and it’s not hard to come to the realization that there is a vast amount of self-help material out there today that will aid you in determining who you are and what your purpose is here on this planet. And that's fine. In fact, I’m certain some of what I hold near and dear comes directly from some of the very material that I reference. That said, as I work with people one-on-one, I encounter a challenge that I find larger than understanding who we are – and that is facing and accepting it.
As a strong-willed, opinionated, passionate woman I can tell you that I’m quite familiar with this lack of personal acceptance. It seems that along with personal assessments come a self-defeating side. While various assessments I've done over the years always have a section on individual strengths, I always found myself gravitating towards the sections on "challenges" or "weaknesses." And I know I'm not alone in this. Many of us don’t focus on the positive side, but rather the negative side of who we are.
For example, when I was younger, I always wanted to be that girl that got along with everyone and never made waves. Well, over the years, I got to know that girl really well and the fact of the matter is that she spent her time wanting to be exciting and gregarious like me.
We all know the saying that you always want what you can’t or don’t have. And this especially applies to our own identities. But, what if we didn’t just face (and accept), but we embraced who we were and all that could mean to the world?
The next time you look in the mirror, see yourself for you and recognize the positive sides of that person. Those attributes that you think of as negative: ask how can they be used as they are or what can you do to turn them around in your life to make a positive difference in this world?
- Ruminate on the good, positive things about who you are.
- Find a place where you can invest your time or talents by using these qualities.
Each one of us is uniquely made and gifted. Don’t just face it – embrace it and you will see positive transformation in your life!
