Each and every one of us have been given value unique to us. How we choose to or are chosen to apply it is as equally unique. The value that each one of us possess subsidizes the resources of focus, learning and understanding necessary for our growth and improvement. We may not even see our value or offerings even when they are staring us right in the face. That is ok, and perfectly understandable. It is however, imperative that we are at least willing to accept and hopefully believe that we are worth the air we use to live and the help we all require to be a better version of ourselves. Please know that the process of growth and maturity is not meant to tear us down leaving us in chaos and confusion but instead it is a path meant for imperfection, mistakes and failure necessary to our evolution as a blossoming human. Loving and letting ourselves be clunky and uncertain is part of that road taken to level up the impact we have on ourselves and the world. This may sound good, but it is worth absolutely nothing if we do not receive it or at least entertain it.

One strategy I used to help me see and believe that humans are worthy of growth and success was building successful realities for others that I may have seen or been around. This was a way of simply letting value exist in humans. Then I graduated to asking myself why I was different from them? This led to me developing an alternate reality for myself that allowed me to fake my worth and dream about a different me. From there I moved to asking myself what I would do to take a simple step towards a better me. Around this time, I started to develop rules for how I treated myself. Initially I did this by allowing myself to be confused and challenged so that I could begin to accept and love me despite my short comings. I then built in margins for error in my daily life that gave me room to make mistakes, be uncertain and immature. This served to sort of legalized and defined my messiness placing it on the map to be worked through instead of avoiding it, explaining it and denying its role in my growth. Of course, the line of progression I just listed took years and much outside help. But this too is ok.

It is worth mentioning that the vulnerabilities we tend to avoid the most in ourselves play one of the biggest roles in our positive change as an individual. Think about it, without personality flaws and weaknesses what is there for us to use to improve? When I stopped attempting to hide my own weakness from myself and others, I began to not only let my weaknesses be a part of me but realize my improvement hinged on how I faced and utilized my weaknesses for courage and celebration. I should clarify when I say celebration is not celebrating my weakness but instead celebrating the fact that I was allowing myself to value me enough to face whatever was necessary to nurture and change for my benefit. Taking this perspective over time helped to turn the thought of my weakness into a point of inner pride and celebration for victory over my ego, coupled with allowing myself to laugh at the embarrassing or ridiculous things I would think, say or do as another tool in my bag for self-love and forward momentum meant to improve my flaws.

Our growth can be as effective and meaningful as we are willing to make it. For me I need different, abstract and creative strategies for change on my path of improvement. I have countless other strategies in my bag that I use on a daily basis to keep me heading in the direction. I will share more of these as I move along in my writing. For now, this is enough for me to process.