Pair #62 To err is human, to forgive is human too
I can give up the idea that one day, if I work hard enough, nothing will bother me, I'll never get upset or angry and I'll never again have a unkind word for myself or others.
*Sigh*
No matter how much personal work I do, I can still come up short, get lost in a petty idea, and not follow my own best advice.
Just today I was upset and frustrated.
And actually the thing that really hit home was that I was angry because I thought I shouldn't be frustrated. I thought I should be able to 'do better than that'.
To come nose to nose with my lack of humility was a jolt. Did I really think I was so self-aware that I should never have a problem or find anything difficult ever again? The truth is, I got upset that I didn't have my shit together. And it got me thinking...
What does it mean to do personal work? Do I really believe that it means I'll grow out of myself?
Where in the fine print does it say "after a certain time has passed, you will no longer react at all and never make another mistake"? There's nothing wrong with not being able to cope, getting frustrated or just plain losing it.
Which reminds me of this wonderful quote:
Every human heart is human.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
How unhelpful to think that one day we'll become so wonderfully self-aware that we will crawl out of our humanity.
There is nothing wrong with being human.
In fact, it's rather divine.
*Sigh*
No matter how much personal work I do, I can still come up short, get lost in a petty idea, and not follow my own best advice.
Just today I was upset and frustrated.
And actually the thing that really hit home was that I was angry because I thought I shouldn't be frustrated. I thought I should be able to 'do better than that'.
To come nose to nose with my lack of humility was a jolt. Did I really think I was so self-aware that I should never have a problem or find anything difficult ever again? The truth is, I got upset that I didn't have my shit together. And it got me thinking...
What does it mean to do personal work? Do I really believe that it means I'll grow out of myself?
Where in the fine print does it say "after a certain time has passed, you will no longer react at all and never make another mistake"? There's nothing wrong with not being able to cope, getting frustrated or just plain losing it.
Which reminds me of this wonderful quote:
Every human heart is human.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
How unhelpful to think that one day we'll become so wonderfully self-aware that we will crawl out of our humanity.
There is nothing wrong with being human.
In fact, it's rather divine.
© 2010 Elese Coit
If you wish to reprint, feel free, please link back here and if it's of use, include:
"Elese Coit is a leader in transformative personal change and Hosts the Radio Show A New Way To Handle Absolutely Everything. To see the world differently, reach for one of her '101 New Pairs of Glasses' on http://elesecoit.com"
Thank you.
If you wish to reprint, feel free, please link back here and if it's of use, include:
"Elese Coit is a leader in transformative personal change and Hosts the Radio Show A New Way To Handle Absolutely Everything. To see the world differently, reach for one of her '101 New Pairs of Glasses' on http://elesecoit.com"
Thank you.
