Circle of Grace

I’ve been living with myself for the past 51 years but I’ve just recently come to accept who I am. I guess after all these years, I realise that I cannot separate from myself or divorce who I am in exchange for anyone else. I am unique. I am quirky. I am talented. I am conservative. I love adventure and new experiences. I like quiet. I need patience. I can be anti-social at times. And the list goes on but guess what? I embrace all those parts of me.

There is a little plaque that I bought for myself one day, just so I would have a visual cue to remind myself of how important it is to accept the me that I am. I later bequeathed it to my son for the same reason.

I have learned over the past two years that people and situations pass through your life to expose who you really are. Some of what you learn may not be too attractive, but at least you know what is there. You now have the opportunity to work on you. Remember your life is like a revolving door. People and situations move in and out, but like the revolving door, you are the constant. You will always be with you. Work on being the best you that you can be for you. If you can be the best for you, then thats what others will expereince when they meet you. Hmmm

Instead of throwing blame and shade on others, acknowledge what is and proceed to take measures to work on a new and improved version of yourself. I have taken the stance that just like rocks in a surf that rub against each other and eventually become smooth, I will endure the friction of my essential relationships. It must get easier as time passes. The non-essential relationships I will let go without regret. And as you get older, this becomes easier because some relationships take more from you than they give.

This perspective, I’ve learned, comes with maturity and having lived through several life cycles. The bottom line still rests in having the mindset that you need to:

• take the time to learn who you are
• embrace yourself, flaws and all
• be grateful for your experiences
• grow through your experiences
• appreciate who you’ve become in spite of and because of those experiences
• be fully present in your life

And after all of that, you still get to be yourself because everyone else is taken.