Notes From The Awareness: 171

How we do something reveals how we feel about ourselves.

Please discuss. How does this play out in life?

I’ll start us out. We all like to think of ourselves as hard working and conscientious. No one likes to view themselves as a slacker. But we all put more heart and soul, more effort into some things. Other things we allot a so-so or bare minimum amount of attention. This certainly will show where our priorities lie; on another level, it illuminates how we feel about ourselves.

As an example, being an involved and caring parent highlights how important our children are to us. It also indicates we want to give them nurturing we also enjoy receiving, and additionally that we see ourselves as loving and worthy of love. Taking less than good care of ourselves shows that our well being is not a large concern for us, and exposes the level at which we value ourselves. How we feel when we tend to our children or ourselves may be further revealing. Do we enjoy the tasks or resent their necessity?

Today’s message reminds me to pay attention to what I choose to do, how much effort I put into it, and how I feel about doing it. All these will provide clues about how I relate to my life, and on a more profound level, how I view myself and my intrinsic value. If I consciously decide to put less than my best effort into something—and this is okay and sometimes the sane and practical choice—I will want to ensure I’m happy with this option and will not use it as an excuse to judge myself. It’s important to feel good about what I’m doing and about myself. This way lies happiness.

How about you? Do you always do your best, and if not how does that make you feel?