Working with your goodies
We all must work with what we have – whether it’s the skills we've been given, the bodies we inhabit, the places and families we come from, and so forth. Whatever your current circumstances or situation, you must embrace and engage with them instead of resisting.
I understand the fear that accompanies an honest evaluation of one's situation. Too often, we bury our challenges, hoping they'll disappear on their own.
It's a timeless truth that our discontent stems from our inability to be okay with ourselves, others, or our surroundings. I genuinely mean all of it. How frequently do we find ourselves wishing some aspect of our lives were different? Sometimes change is within our control, and sometimes it's not. The path back to peace and equilibrium involves allowing each piece of our experience to exist as it is. Notice that I didn't say we must accept it. For me, there's a distinction between allowing and accepting.
In this context, that difference is crucial. We often wallow in sadness, depression, or anxiety over how things could be different, but they aren't. Your reality might not align with your ideals, and that's okay. You don't have to accept that things are inherently flawed or unsatisfactory, but you must allow them to be as they are. Denial leads to stagnation and impedes growth and healing.
Acknowledging reality as it is allows you to ground yourself in the present moment. With this newfound allowance, you have options. You can work towards changing what you can, and you can also develop your resilience in facing the genuine challenges of your situation.
We all know that growth occurs at the intersection of comfort and challenge. Self-development inevitably involves discomfort. It's crucial to expand our capacity to navigate difficult situations; otherwise, we remain stagnant and unhappy. So, I challenge you to allow all aspects of your experience to be as they are and then take the next best step. You don't have to conquer the mountain in five minutes – just keep chipping away at it.
When we allow all aspects of our experience, we realize that our best tools for navigating the journey are the ones we already possess. It's essential to work with what we have. That doesn't mean we can't develop further along the way, but acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses is an act of self-acceptance and self-love. It enables us to chart our own course. There's no use in fixating on what we lack; it denies our present circumstances and, on a deeper level, denies ourselves. You are already enough, already equipped, and already poised to take your next step. Just work with what you've got, baby!
