If I Cheerfully Accept all of my strengths and weaknesses as is suggested in Step 2, then why do I need to do steps 3 and 4?
Simply put, change is necessary for growth and life. We all must grow and change for the world is always growing and changing. Who we are today is a function of the world around us and since the world around us is always changing then so must we change. It is the reasons that we change that are important.
I believe, that at our foundation, it is the goal of each person to be the best version of themselves that they can be. When we stray from this goal, this is when conflict (both internal and external) begins.
I believe that our culture has somehow lost the focus of that basic goal. To me, it seems that we have become to focused on an external definition of this fundamental goal. The conversation has changed to “it is the goal of each person to be the best version of themselves that others think they ought to be.” Here is where the negative self-talk gets its hold. When we start defining our value from a place of what others think we set for ourselves an unattainable standard that we will never reach..and the we spiral downward….I am not __________enough so I am a bad person….which leads to finding other faults……which makes us worse……et cetera and so forth…
Cheerful Acceptance starts from accepting who we are so that we can look forward to who we want to be. It brings the focus back to being the best version of ourselves….complete with our strengths and our weaknesses. How can I take the knowledge of who I am today (step 2) and use it to make a better version of myself tomorrow (Step 3 & 4)?
Have a GREAT day!
Cheerful Acceptance 