It's a rainy Sunday in Nova Scotia ! Rainy days and Sundays could be downright depressing.Thankfully there is football and baseball, unless you happen to be a news junkie, in which case you have lots of material to put you in a dark mood.
But for some of us,Sunday has great possibilities.I grew up in a Christian family environment. No, it wasn't perfect .There were lots of challenges as I remember. And yet,my mother made sure I knew I was loved and saw to it that I knew I am a spiritual being , loved by God,no matter what mischief I created.
Then I went off to university where it wasn't real if it couldn't be measured , But my doubts really started with adolescence.
Now,about fifty years later, I realize that I have been blessed in life in spite of myself.When there has been trouble,I was the enemy,devoted to making a case against myself ,even as I supported others. I became an expert at helping others and ,at the same time, even more proficient at self -criticism.
Fortunately, the early messages haven't been erased.Nor can they be.
Why am I telling you this?Well, I suspect that many struggle with this personal dynamic.Whether or not you do,I welcome your comments. I'm not suggesting that there is no need for self evaluation, but objectivity can quickly yield to subjectivity when it comes to looking in the mirror. Facts can quickly become twisted to support a negative conclusion.
In spite of reasonable success professionally and personally, good enough has never been a concept I understood...I was never good enough Sound familiar?I know that I'm not alone. Paul Newman said it,others have said it,many have experienced it...the gut feeling that disqualifies the positive and blocks every thought but the worst one called...what's wrong with me anyway?
Scott Peck said in The Road Less Travelled that life is difficult. This is surely true ! Growing up is difficult,relationships are difficult, marriage and parenting are difficult,making a living is difficult.Two persons with identical circumstances respond differently.Background, education and experience contribute to this response. Yet,who can deny the reality of mind chatter and the raw power of judgement and contempt. Yet ,we also have the capacity to face,even overcome,our circumstances, fear and doubt. Beliefs about ourselves and others often make the biggest difference in setting goals,making choices,enjoying life.
Henry Ford said,"believe you can..you're right.Believe you can't ..you're right"Too simplistic you say.Many great truths are simple to understand but hard to do. Beliefs haven't been given much play lately...do we even know or care what our leaders believe?Is it possible that the choice of beliefs about ourselves is relevant to international conflict,the economy,substance abuse and violence,
I believe this to be true! For sure, life as I know it has been affected by my beliefs. Absolutely true ! How about you ?
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