Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
She lives on the reflections of herself in the eyes of others. She doesn’t dare to be herself. — Anaïs Nin
Do I know myself only in the image of what others make of me? Do I exist only in the gaze of others? What would happen if there was nobody to see me, to make me up? Would I simply disappear and cease to exist?
If we lack a sense of ourselves as people changing, on the move, in a process of growth, then it is easy to let ourselves become fixed, defined, static, lifeless. Other people will always be happy to do the work of defining us if we are unwilling to find out who we are ourselves. Of course we need to be seen and noticed and valued by others—but not at the expense of ourselves. We must dare to be. We must take the risk of creating ourselves and get to know and like ourselves—this strange and wonderful creature.
I am going to dare to be myself and welcome change and growth.
Hazelden Foundation
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