“What I am is good enough, if I would only be it openly.” ~Carl Rogers
With the New Year comes resolutions. Many resolutions involve some seismic shifts on our part, oftentimes resulting in us feeling completely wretched by about mid-February, if not sooner. Thus begins the self-flagellation.
We see advertisements everywhere encouraging us to lose weight, get rid of wrinkles, grow our eyelashes (?!)… Sadly, most of these ads are directed at women. The underlying message suggests that we are not enough; not strong enough, thin enough, young enough, glamorous enough… It’s a deleterious dialogue we have with ourselves, and it needs to stop.
I’m an ambassador of inspiration and good will, and I have exciting news:
You. Are. ENOUGH.
That’s right, you, all by yourself with that hair color and nose you inherited. You are already, today, right now, tall enough, smart enough, pretty enough, brave enough. Would losing some weight be beneficial? Absolutely. How about smoothing some of those wrinkles? Sure. Growing your lashes? Well, I believe falsies are “stilettos for the eyes,” so I personally wouldn’t bother. The point being that while any one or combination of these things may be a nice or even need to do, they in no way dictate or are indicative of your VALUE as a woman. You have a divine right to occupy the space that you hold here on this planet. Understanding that you are exactly where you are suppose to be, doing exactly what you’re doing , how you’re doing it is a powerful tool in harnessing your “Enough-ness.”
I’m not suggesting that you stop striving towards self-improvement, indeed we should all be on a path to becoming more authentic beings. I am, however, suggesting that what you resist, persists. If you cannot or will not accept who and where you are right now, in this present moment (because it’s all we have) then your quest for self-evolution, whatever that looks like, will be delayed. That’s OK. But if you’re looking for a faster track to inspiration and thinner thighs, I encourage you to embrace the notion that you’re perfectly delightfully enough. Say it with me: I. AM. ENOUGH.
(In case this post doesn’t make you an instant believer, check out The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown.)