MoziEsme’s mama posted a lovely quote this week about humility, and how faith guides us to remember to praise God first and be uncomfortable with other applause. Better yet, to redirect personal praise toward God, remembering that without faith, without His direction, we are simply lost. This is something that is regularly in the back of my mind. I think being able to accept praise gracefully is important, especially so for women in the workplace and more so when it comes to complimenting a woman’s appearance. How often do you hear a friend deflect your kind words with, “Oh no, I am so fat.” Or “Eh? This old dress? It was so cheap!” Learning to accept praise can be a challenge.
Then again, acceptance of praise and boasting about your own accomplishments are two entirely different things. The one aspect I want to change about this journal is the egotistical tone. I fear I am perceived as quite conceited and I can see why.
Look what I made!
Look what I cooked!
Look where I traveled!
ME ME ME!
Yikes. I need to take a step back and spend time reflecting on what fuels my desire to feed this blog, which ultimately strokes my ego. Ideally, I would love to see it make a turn toward something much more meaningful.
In the meantime, an inspiring quote from MoziEsme’s Mama:
A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson:
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, 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 won’t 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’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
We are powerful beyond nature.
~K