Accepting and Appreciating Our Formation

Appreciation’s the way,

To understand why we are,

Knowing harmony today,

And not emotionally afar.

Reduces the dissonance,

Beckons the peace,

Producing sound cognisance,

Generating release.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Coming to an acceptance of who we are, as a platform for moving on with our lives, is a critical first step before any other real emotional and spiritual growth can occur. This is about coming to terms with all our experience, and seeing all that’s occurred with and to us as a big part of the reason we see the world the way we do.

This also, somewhat, explains how we can understand and be patient with those in our midst who trouble or try us.

None of us have subsisted in a vacuum in this life. We’re all a product of our unique experience.

Formation is the process of who we’ve become to this point. It also describes the journey we’re on throughout the remainder of our lives. Formation arguably has it’s conclusion at death.

Acceptance First

There are probably three classes of people, two of which find it easier to accept who they are.

These two are the normally developed and the especially blessed. The third group were, during development, especially neglected or abused. Acceptance is a harder journey to the outcome for these. But, power is known more fundamentally to them, as journeys to such depths also reveal significant blessings.

Notwithstanding the above, all three groups must journey to their own God-blessed and God-provided sense of self-acceptance.

This is the comfort-ability of humility whereby we can honestly sit with ourselves, and present a lucid truth-bare picture resplendent in healthy vulnerability.

Importantly, we’re taking one sense of vulnerability — that which is unhealthy and unsafe — and protecting ourselves via self-appreciation, and we’re developing another form of vulnerability — one based in honesty and courage — to become stronger people with honour.

This can only occur when we accept ourselves.

Appreciating Second

This is a positive tack. We turn from a healthy start of accepting ourselves and where we’ve come from, achieving a peace that transcends understanding, and we augment it further by embracing growth.

This is not so much about affirmations as it’s about taking positive steps to recognise and reward the achievement of good deeds and goals, for we all have such achievements.

Taking some time to give some credence to what has formed us is giving at least some credit back to a God who’s allowed these things to occur; yes, for a purpose — one consummated in the you and me we see today.

But we cannot get here without first accepting. Acceptance is a form of salvation that opens the door to appreciation.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.