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--Carl Jung.
I am a quote girl, I love inspirational quotes and frequently draw strength or insight from them. My mom and I will spend hours at gift shop stores pointing out inspiring quotes that we enjoy. But this quote from Carl Jung I had never heard before, yep never heard..and it is such a good one. Last night my nearest and dearest and I were watching TV and this quote popped up on the murder victims' refrigerator and I immediately grabbed for a piece of paper to write it down.
This quote is the crux of much of my work both professionally and personally, the point where I am helping my clients to move towards, and the consistent struggle as humans....to accept ourselves completely. To look at who we are the dreams, desires, hopes, wishes and not discard them because they aren't what everyone else wants. To embrace the doubts, fears, insecurities and 'monkey mind' that haunt all of us. To celebrate the uniqueness that is you and all that comes with it--terrifying?!? You bet.
The true challenge is that accepting ourselves completely is hard enough, but then you add in another level..that order to accept ourselves we have to to look at ourselves and have that foundation shaking thought...is this it?!? I know there are moments when I question, is this as good as it gets? Is this why I am here? These moments, earthshakingly terrifying. Common questions are am I doing my best? Am I striving hard enough? What can I be doing more of?
But Jung is asking us: Can I love myself completely, now, in this moment, without striving, working harder, becoming something, just as is...my joyous, laughter loving, sometimes lazy, uninspired, obsessive, analyzing clean freak, gardener, reader, writer, me. That is the crux of life. Those moments that we have when we say, yep I am pretty freaking cool, are priceless. Those moments of complete peace, a certain groundedness creeps in and we can take a big belly breathe and be at one with the universe. Those moments aren't terrifying, fleeting yes, but not terrifying.
The trick is building on those moments, little by little, remembering that feeling of 'yes, I am enough, as is, right now'. Striving for a goal is amazing but when the need to strive out weighs the ability to love ourselves as is we have lost balance.
Accepting ourselves completely can be terrifying but it can also be exhilarating! It is the point of being here, to learn who we are and how we relate to the world while learning how to be the best us possible!! That, my friends, is working and living happier.
