Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You
To know yourself, you must sacrifice the illusion that you already do.
Vironika Tugaleva, The Art of Talking to Yourself
The Terrible Twos may be as difficult for children as for their parents.
The toddlers are just beginning to understand that they are individuals, separate from the rest of the world.
This is a difficult concept, one that will require rigorous testing.
Parents often interpret this research project as rebellion and fear they are raising a budding narcissist.
It is not easy finding the healthy balance between the extremes of always insisting on getting their own way and playing well with others.
Which leaves little energy to instill the same balance in their children.
Perfect self-awareness doesn’t magically arrive on the third birthday — or even the 30th birthday.
How well do we really know ourselves?
· What is it that we value most?
· How do we define success?
· What activities give us a deep sense of satisfaction?
· What “very particular set of skills” have we acquired that we can use to help others?
These are just a few of the questions we need to ask if we hope to understand who that person is that we see in the mirror every morning.
Blaise Pascal claimed that all our problems are caused by our inability to sit quietly in a room alone.
We fill our days with so much busyness and noise that we can barely hear our own voices.
I’m not a big fan of the greeting “How are you?”
It’s not clear if it is a genuine question or just a polite greeting.
I’ll answer with, “Fine, thanks. How about you?”
This is often followed by a brief positive response and a second “How are you?”
I’m tempted to reply, “Pretty much the same as I was 30 seconds ago.”
Much of our internal dialog is just as superficial.
When was the last time we asked ourselves how we are — and waited for a response?
That person shows up in the mirror every morning, but are they genuinely present?
When was the last time we looked into their eyes and saw a person with hopes, dreams, and fears?
Do we see a dear friend or just a familiar stranger?
Make an appointment today at a mirror near you.
Take the time to get to know that person and let them know you want the best for them.
Now available at Amazon: The Courageous Heart: Wisdom for Difficult Times in paperback and eBook.
