This Side of the Creek

One of the hardest challenges we as people may face is learning to like who we are. We are constantly bombarded with ads and articles about who we should be and what we should look like. The reality is that it takes all kinds to make a world and we must embrace who it is we were created to be.

Our initial creation did not come from media messages. It came from conception… from a moment between a man and a woman, and in my belief that moment was at the hands of a Higher Power… God. Post-birth messages have altered the way many of us have lived and have influenced the way we look. We all want to be accepted and loved. Most of us also want to be beautiful and confident. However, to obtain those things, we are often going to extreme measures rather than realizing that we are already unique and beautiful. Why allow media, or other, messages to alter the initial you – the person you were born to be?

I certainly understand the pressure in today’s world to look and act in a way that far exceeds the natural. We are continuously witnessing advertisements suggesting we can “fix” our aging skin, our small breasts, our crooked teeth and our culturally-determined overweight bodies, among other things. Or we are exposed to influences that suggest we obtain the biggest bank account balance, the largest house in the neighborhood, and the fanciest car found on America’s highways. But when do we scale it all back and take a look at reality? When do we stop in our tracks, accept who we are and what we have right now – in this very moment – and say, “I am OK” rather than criticizing ourselves?

One of my personal goals, that I also challenge you to consider, is to make a gratitude list in relation to myself. I want to consider all of the things I already am and all of the things at which I am already good, rather than considering all of the things I am not and am striving to attain. Like you, I possess qualities that are strengths and that deserve more of my attention because if I constantly focus on what needs improvement, I lose sight of the aspects of myself that are already OK.