Accentuate the Positive

I woke up yesterday with this song in my head:

I have been thinking A LOT about this concept lately. I have been wondering what it is in us that insists on focusing on our faults, deficits, and shortcomings.  What you feed grows and what you starve dies, right? Then WHY are we constantly feeding negative thoughts and perceptions and neglecting to appreciate and honor all of the wonderful things that we do and that we are? We are so careful to be kind and encouraging to those around us, why do we so rarely take the same care with ourselves?

I would encourage you to take some time to think about this. I think that we often feel that we have to focus on our weaknesses to make them strengths. We have to be "humble." I would submit that humility is not recognizing that you are powerless, but recognizing where your power comes from. Marianne Williamson has been famously quoted for expounding on this idea:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Could it really be true that not belittling ourselves could not only build us, but also build those around us? Could we actually grow and progress by focusing on what we would like to/can do well instead of what we aren't doing/can't do well? Could we really embrace who we are as exquisite daughters of a loving Father in Heaven without leaving anyone behind or become self-involved and prideful? Could it actually be true that weaknesses don't necessarily make us weak, but are individualized God-given gifts, given to help us become who He already knows we will be if we will work with him to smooth out the rough edges of our humanity?

I have so many more questions and I certainly don't have all of the answers, but I do know that God doesn't work by shaming, berating, or belittling us and neither should we.