Why we do what we do

This is a long-awaited continuation of my 2012 blog, “Being Your Own Best Friend”.

       Being your own best friend is a very real thing. All great relationships are built on the foundation of a great friendship. Our relationship with ourselves is no different.

Part of this friendship is learning about ourselves on a deeper, more intimate level. We need to know what makes us tick, why we do what we do.

When we understand ourselves this way, it creates the environment necessary to cultivate love for self. We are able to be kinder and gentler with ourselves once we know how we are. For instance, if you know that you are a sensitive person, then you don’t beat yourself up (as much) when a scenario comes up where you take something to heart.

The next layer for this is understanding what you understand about yourself. Using the same example, knowing you are sensitive is half the battle. You must also understand that sensitivity is not a bad thing or a weakness-as they are often referred to in that way. This gives birth to self-acceptance, because you know you are sensitive and that sensitivity is a beautiful thing, meaning you are a very caring, empathic person with spiritual gifts to connect with and help others.

This doesn’t mean we don’t have things to improve upon within ourselves. Our vacation here on earth is, I believe, one of many opportunities to refine our characters. But the reality is we are mostly dealing with the other end of the spectrum where we are too hard on ourselves and so judgmental (we live in an extremely judgmental world) and so we redirect the harsh judgment onto ourselves. This cripples us and shuts down love for self.

The good news is that we can begin to get to know ourselves today. We can learn what makes us tick (mainly by what ticks us off) and study these character traits (how we react to things) and see what it says about us and embrace them as part of our uniqueness without judgment (“good or “bad”).

Peace,

helen

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