This book is about fulfilling my desire to understand myself personally and socially. It shows how I can possibly be aware of myself. I desire to know myself because I want to have the dignity accorded to God’s creations. This way, I can picture myself as someone capable of personal growth. Also, it shows how I can possibly know the person I project to other people. I desire to know my social self because I want to have the influence that develops other persons too. This way, I can picture myself as someone capable of social change.
The book is especially meaningful because throughout my lifetime, I will meet a lot of people. It is pointless then to show a masked self every now and then. Family gatherings will find me meeting relatives I have not known previously. I do not want to project one face to one cousin at this occasion while another face to another cousin at the next occasion. I want to have a uniform personality when getting acquainted with my own relatives. The book helps me show this one personality that’s my genuine self. Also, the school provides occasions when I will meet new friends through friends or classmates. I do not want to present different personalities in acquainting myself with others in school. I will be more comfortable if I unmask my true self and the book helps me do so. This capacity of the book to let me be myself makes it a must-read for me. It is not uncommon that young people like me are still struggling to discover our identity. However, discovering myself and accepting this self that I discovered are two different matters. I may not like what self I found. It is a matter of accepting myself that makes me find the book special. Without accepting my discovered self, how may I present to unknown relatives and new friends the true self? I may end up showing multiple personalities every time the opportunity to meet other people emerges.
The insight of self-acceptance is important because it is not easy to accept myself. It is not uncommon for me to wish to be somebody else. I wish I were more brilliant. I wish I were famous. I wish I had more money than I have. And I wish all of these thinking maybe I will gain more friends in the process. But now that I know better, it is not as if these are just the bases for acceptance by other people. I may be more intelligent, famous or richer but these do not guarantee the approval of other persons. I gained the insight that being accepted begins with myself. This is the farthest my height can get. This is the character I have become so far. What will I become if I do not appreciate who I am today? If I do not start with myself, how can this appreciation be noticed and repeated by everyone else? The answer boils down to loving my current identity in all its flaws and shortcomings. With this insight in mind, what fear should arise in me?
This insight is helpful in my studies, personal life and professional life since in all three phases, personal growth and social development happen. In my studies, it helps to accept myself if I prove not as clever as other classmates. Of course, I can work hard and get grades as good as theirs. However, with their intellect, they involve considerable effort only. As for me, it takes real effort to match theirs. But this does not make me fear that I will not be approved of by my professors, unlike the really clever ones. Accepting what effortful investment I can give to my studies will not go unnoticed. Also, in my personal life, it helps to accept myself if I prove not as famous or gorgeous as others. I may not be like that, but I have other things to offer like companionship and belongingness. I believe that these two have greater importance than being popular or attractive. Accepting myself for who I am is the beginning of being accepted by friends. In my professional life, it helps to accept myself if I prove not as ideal a leader as I would want to become. That is a part of my humanity: to be imperfect. However, I do not want to rest on this imperfection. As a professional, I would like to give my best so my colleagues will be influenced in doing the same. I will accept the biggest effort I can make. Through this, I hope to earn the admiration of others. I ultimately hope that this admiration will eventually evolve into acceptance of the imperfect professional that I am.I can use self-acceptance today and in the future, in all my dealings with other people in school and my immediate environment. Now that I have no fear about myself, I am more comfortable to deal with everybody. Wherever I meet others, I should never be afraid to tell who I am.
No comments:
Post a Comment