It can be quite difficult to fully comprehend that what we see, hear, feel and think is a rare match to that which someone else sees, hears, feels and thinks. More often than not we can find ourselves poles apart. The fact of the matter is that we are all different. Individuals. Unique.
We are who we are and we believe what we believe because of how and where we have been raised and where and how we are living. Everyone we have encountered has had an input. Every incident we have experienced has left its mark. No two stories are the same. Variations exist within family units. Little wonder then that so many people struggle with their own identity. No surprise that confusion and uncertainty abound.
The good news is that there is common ground…agreed principles, aims, hopes and dreams that do more to unite than divide.
Identifying that common ground must be nothing less than an individual and determined pursuit. Everyone must find his or her own answers and solutions. Growth and maturity are very personal matters. And age does not dictate where a person is on their own journey to self realisation.
The starting point must be self acceptance which is the result of self knowledge and self love. That can be one of the most challenging things we will ever face…to face ourselves. The challenge comes from the knowledge of choice. There are alternatives and the selection process is entirely our own. We are responsible for the decisions we make and whatever consequences flow from those decisions.
The guiding principle should always be the quest for self improvement…a determination to be a better person today than the person we were yesterday. Not only is it desirable but it is also possible. Again, the choice is ours.
Gary Bentley Counselling 