General Information – Feeling Uncomfortable in Our Lives
Being occasionally uncomfortable with ourselves is part of who we are. Most of us have come to terms with ourselves. But, we may still have moments when we are disappointed or frustrated with ourselves.
Do you remember when you were a teenager and spent a good part of your life in front of a mirror? This was valuable time for us. We were getting to know the person we were becoming. So much was changing. We were living in a stranger’s body, with a stranger’s thoughts and feelings. We needed to get to know this person. The only reference points we had were our friends and so we would compare our body, mind, and soul to what we saw in them! And too often, we would come up lacking. Others were better looking, had it “all together”, and had the perfect life.
Time and maturity helped most of us discover that different is not bad, others were just as confused as we were, and no one has the perfect life. This came about because we got to know ourselves and began to see ourselves in others. Others had the same problems we had. We came to accept ourselves as we are. This is called humility. Humility grows out of the Greek Word humus or earth. We are dirt, no more and no less. When we come to terms with our “dirtness” and see that others are just as “dirtly” we begin to accept who we are. No more, no less.
However, just because we may no longer qualify as a teenager, we will still have our moments. Jealousy, self-shaming, disappointment in ourselves, long-term guilt, and being angry with the changes that come with age are all echoes of the hours we spent in front of a mirror those many years ago. For the next few weeks we will be exploring ways to be more accepting of ourselves just as we are. No more, no less. We will explore humility, being comfortable in our own skin.
Do you remember when you were a teenager and spent a good part of your life in front of a mirror? This was valuable time for us. We were getting to know the person we were becoming. So much was changing. We were living in a stranger’s body, with a stranger’s thoughts and feelings. We needed to get to know this person. The only reference points we had were our friends and so we would compare our body, mind, and soul to what we saw in them! And too often, we would come up lacking. Others were better looking, had it “all together”, and had the perfect life.
Time and maturity helped most of us discover that different is not bad, others were just as confused as we were, and no one has the perfect life. This came about because we got to know ourselves and began to see ourselves in others. Others had the same problems we had. We came to accept ourselves as we are. This is called humility. Humility grows out of the Greek Word humus or earth. We are dirt, no more and no less. When we come to terms with our “dirtness” and see that others are just as “dirtly” we begin to accept who we are. No more, no less.
However, just because we may no longer qualify as a teenager, we will still have our moments. Jealousy, self-shaming, disappointment in ourselves, long-term guilt, and being angry with the changes that come with age are all echoes of the hours we spent in front of a mirror those many years ago. For the next few weeks we will be exploring ways to be more accepting of ourselves just as we are. No more, no less. We will explore humility, being comfortable in our own skin.
Tips – Take Time to Get to Know Ourselves
The tip this week is quite simple.
In the next week, be very intentional about the following.
1. Listen to other’s stories, especially when you have the urge to jump in with your own story.
2. Compliment others and resist the urge to correct them or shame them.
3. Ask questions and then listen to the answer without formulating your own response while the other is talking.
These exercises will help us connect with other people and discover that they may be struggling with the very same discomfort “in their skin” as we are. We will discover that in some ways we are better while in other ways, others may have it easier. Remember, the goal is humility, accepting ourselves as we are. No more and no less.
In the next week, be very intentional about the following.
1. Listen to other’s stories, especially when you have the urge to jump in with your own story.
2. Compliment others and resist the urge to correct them or shame them.
3. Ask questions and then listen to the answer without formulating your own response while the other is talking.
These exercises will help us connect with other people and discover that they may be struggling with the very same discomfort “in their skin” as we are. We will discover that in some ways we are better while in other ways, others may have it easier. Remember, the goal is humility, accepting ourselves as we are. No more and no less.
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