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You Are Enough

As a therapist, I am given the rare honor to encounter the depths of my clients’ souls by helping each of them unfold and find some meaning in life’s sometimes traumatic experiences. This intimate therapy journey sometimes raises more questions than answers and may bring about more frustration, at first, than inner peace. When I first meet with a client, I ask what it is that he or she would like to gain from therapy, and the answer I hear the most often from clients of all of walks of life is, “I just want to be normal.” This popular yearning for “normalness” puzzles me, because the first thing that usually pops into my head when I hear this answer is, “What is normal?” What may be “normal” to one individual may not be “normal” to the next individual, and I have yet to find a consistent definition or illustration of what “normal” looks like or means. When I break apart the answer with each client and ask what would “normal” be like for him or her personally, the basic foundation of what I hear is that the client’s life lacks something.

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Image used under Creative Commons license courtesy of Pixabay.

In a society that is consistently bombarded with celebrity endorsed advertisements,  the idea that more is better, and the pressure to conform, it’s no wonder many people feel inadequate or incomplete. What screws us up the most is the picture in our heads of how life is “supposed” to be. This picture is built by comparing ourselves to other broken human beings, who are each on their own journey, learning their own lessons—not for those looking in from the outside. Unless we have the opportunity to deeply know another person, we don’t know how he or she has gotten to a certain place in life, or what part of God’s bigger plan is in progress as we unfairly judge or compare ourselves to one another.
I find power in focusing on my own journey and learning to let go of the idea that deviating from the “normal” is negative or abnormal. My life lessons are appropriate for my journey, but may not be appropriate for someone else’s path. How unfair it is to disregard God’s plan for each of us (which includes the road we must travel based on our own decisions) by comparing such a customized, personal process to the next person’s story as we perceive it. The action of comparison usually begins by noticing something that we’re lacking or missing, which dismisses many of our own positive, unique attributes. This makes us less likely to be present, less likely to be fulfilled, less likely to be grateful, and more likely to possess feelings of unworthiness. As you read this, if you realize you find yourself feeling less than worthy because you have been taught the ways of the world, I’m here to tell you from the depths of my being that YOU ARE ENOUGH just as you are RIGHT NOW. God uniquely created you- no one else can be you and that is your power! Trust the process of your journey because it is unfolding exactly how it is meant to.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God…” This verse is helpful in bringing me peace to know that the Creator of all just wants me to be still, to be me, and trust. I believe authenticity is exactly what Christ came to this earth to show us, to be true to oneself and to God simultaneously. To me, being authentic is the opposite of sin, or “missing the mark.”
What are some ways in which you embrace your journey and are authentic?
In what ways do you think comparing ourselves to others is detrimental? Beneficial?
What are some healthy/helpful ways to break the habit of comparing ourselves to one another?

IMG_4904Stephanie Knott is a counseling graduate from Seminary of the Southwest, Class of 2015. She is one of the first recipients of the Harrison Fellows Program and is currently working in East Texas as a therapist to clients in under-served rural areas. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones and her dog, Raja, traveling, good food, expanding her knowledge, and fishing. She loves adventure, nature, and also enjoys painting and creativity.

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