How quick are you to judge others?  More importantly, how ready are you to judge yourself?  Do you crave approval from your partner, children/parents etc.?  I was reading a book my mother received on her 80th birthday , “Kitchen Table Wisdom”, and the author, Rachel Naomi Remen talks about this positive form of judgement which is just as diminishing as criticism.  “To seek approval is to have no resting place, no sanctuary.  Like all judement, approval encourages a constant striving.  It makes us uncertain of who we are and of our true value.”

Sometimes, we do not only seek  approval of specific people in our lives, but by the expectations of our work, religion, community and society at large.  Learning about ourselves with our strengths as well as our flaws and accepting that all of this makes us whole and human is our first step towards being happy with ourselves.  Once we are comfortable with who we are, we can maintain our integrity and be true to ourselves.

I subscribe to a trend forecast publication – something I initiated in my last life and held onto out of interest.  I recently read that the latest trend for product brands is “Flawsome” – brands claiming that they have faults (that human element) but are still awsome.  I like that.  I am “flawsome”!  We are all “flawsome”