An excerpt from Seeing My Path…
“Remember when we were a kid and didn’t care? Do you remember back before we worried if our ears were too big, whether we talked too much, if our eyebrows were too caterpillar-like, or if our arms and legs were too long and skinny?
Can you remember a time before we started to think there was something wrong with us?
Let’s be that kid pulling a red wagon full of hopes, dreams and lessons to be learned.
Let’s be that kid before she’s hardened by disappointments, dashed hopes and unfulfilled dreams.
Let‘s be that kid before she lets the doubts change her opinion of herself – before she began to believe the criticisms or hurtful comments from others.
Let‘s be the kid who believed she could do anything and thought she was lovable and likeable and a joy to be around.
Can you imagine anyone not wanting to be around our kids? Try to feel that way about us. We, above all, know our intrinsic goodness. We know the depth of our character.
Let’s be the kid who is proud of the stories she writes and the cakes she bakes and the pictures she draws and the forts she builds.
Love us as much as we love the kids.
Forgive our screw ups.
Believe in our intentions.
Allow us to grow into who we are.”
*Notes from a conversation with myself, on a high plateau, somewhere in the middle of Montana.
Tags: in search of self, life, love, proactive, survive
Great post Jesse, and very true.
We sometimes are our own worst critic. It is easy to be hard on ourselves for the choices we make, what we say, or how we look. We are prone to make mistakes, to have regret, that’s life, but it doesn’t change the fact we like to kick ourselves every chance we get?
Children have a natural ease about themselves. Children live each moment with no inhibitions. They take more risks, laugh more, and express their emotions openly and honestly. We don’t criticize our little ones, nor do we make them feel bad about the choices they make. We encourage them to explore more, to think outside of the box, and to be their authentic selves. We want them to see themselves as beautiful and to live life carefree.
I don’t know how or when we lose these wants for ourselves. I think we have to catch ourselves more in the moment. We need to reflect back to our inner child, or those little ones around us when we are harsh with ourselves. How can we say what we want for our children, if we can’t believe and embody those wants in ourselves. We must in fact love us like we love the kids.
I can’t wait to read the whole thing…
Kira,
Or maybe it gets at loving ourselves/each other the way God loves us.
I like that Jesse!! God’s love is unconditional and forgiving. We should adopt the same feeling and love for ourselves. indeed