Today, I responded to a request from a major publication for quotes about “toxic thoughts to get rid of.” The thought I wanted to junk was “I need to improve myself.”
Why get rid of that, you might think? Shouldn’t we all endeavor to make our lives better? Sure, there’s no problem in wanting to create positive change. But when we think of it as self-improvement, there’s a sneaky little imp within it that says, “You aren’t good enough. There is something wrong with you that you need to fix.”
You know how that feels, don’t you? Yucky. No one wants to be told there’s something wrong with them, that they have a problem they need to fix.
You’re Already Good Enough
I prefer to approach our personal and spiritual growth from the point of view that we’re already Divine beings, we’re already good enough, whole, and lovable. We have beauty and gifts within. Our problem is that we’ve believed the thoughts that tell us we’re lacking and less-than. The problem is believing the thoughts, not improving or fixing yourself.
Negative, self-attacking thinking is what spikes our anxiety and causes us to seek out unhealthy comfort through substances, consumption, or endless distractions.
It’s fine to have goals, to set intentions, and seek to expand our capacity for love, success, and well-being. But see it as a deeper unfolding of your Divine Self, rather than getting rid of something “wrong” with you. You’re already good enough!
Revealing Your Divine Essence
You may wonder, well, how do I do that? How do I discover my Divine Self? That’s the life-long journey, isn’t it? There are many practices that help us access our true Essence: yoga, meditation, being in nature, practicing Presence to name a few. The main core within all these practices is to turn our attention away from our thoughts, which lead us down that rabbit-hole of not being good enough, and towards the abiding consciousness that is the foundation of you, me, and all of existence.
That’s a longer conversation than this blog, but if you’re here reading this, you’ve probably already begun the journey. Practice patience, self-compassion, and most of all, persistence. It doesn’t happen overnight, but consistent practice will reveal more and more of That Which You Are, beyond thoughts.
Feel inside the part of you that is beyond the thoughts, the emotions, the sensations in the body – your Divine Essence. It is already one with All That Is. That Divine Essence doesn’t need improving – it needs to be revealed.
