I came across this lovely quote on my Insta feed from thedoodledesk‘s account. And this made me reflect on how things are constantly changing in my life. We all have our ups and downs, days when we are super-motivated and days when we feel low and lost. We are constantly trying to keep up with the idea of being complete, of making it in this world.
It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.
Eckhart Tolle
One of the things that always affects us is the idea that we are damaged, that we are flawed. In a way it is good that we are aware of our shortcomings, patterns that cause us more harm than good. Who among us has not felt damaged? If we look at our lives closely, we will discover pockets of conditioning that make us feel needy or have led us to act in ways that are less than admirable. We may have even hurt others or ourselves. It’s easy to feel flawed.
But here is the truth: You and I did not come into the world damaged. Our original source, who we are, is whole, fulfilled, creative, completely at peace, loved and loving.
We are born innocent, filled with so much potential, virtually free of psychological scars. Then life brings us challenges. Our needs are not adequately met. Our feelings are rejected or minimized. We may have been criticized, pressured, demeaned, or even abused.
We don’t have the skills and support to manage our emotional reactions, so our feelings go underground, out of conscious awareness. We develop belief systems and strategies to make our way in the world. And we take on identities – as unworthy, entitled, bitter, or afraid.
But regardless of our experiences, our upbringing, our choices so far, we are not damaged (so you can stop telling yourself that you are). Take away what you have learned from your experiences, and what is revealed is the unconditioned you. You are whole, clear, undisturbed, open.
Discover that love is closer than close. Restore yourself to your natural state, and you will see that damage is a figment of your imagination.
Do you recognize yourself as whole? Can you see that the ways you have learned to protect yourself, the facade you put on, is not who you are?
All the things you’ve done and the things you’ve seen, the people you’ve known, the heartbreaks you’ve stitched back together, the plans you’ve made, and the plans you’ve had to let go, the celebrations and growing pains are part of your wholeness.
At the end of the day, you need to learn to look at all of yourself from the most loving perspective. You are the exact right combination of experiences, insights, strengths, and imperfections that make a person whole.
You always were and always will be wholly beyond compare.
Kenrick Vaz 