“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” -African Proverb
Last week we focused on developing self-acceptance. I left you with the mission of listing specific behaviors or characteristics that you feel define who you “should” be. Were you able to define the perfect you? If not, how can you determine whether you’re meeting your own expectations? If so, were your expectations realistic? For example, could you hold another person to those same expectations and assume that he/she will meet them at all times?
In his book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz discusses the concept of always doing your best, with the understanding that your best on one day may not be your best on another. I really like this approach as it still encourages us to be our best, yet also supports the notion that we are not perfect and never will be and that’s OK. Again, your best on one day may not be your best on another, and that’s OK. I’m going to let you sit with that for awhile as it’s a very different philosophy from that by which you were probably reared and, like developing self-acceptance, takes practice to incorporate into your everyday approach to life.