Wholeness
iPhone photo of sunrise our front deck at home in Prince Edward Island
"There is a hidden seed of greater wholeness in everyone and everything. We serve life best when we water it and befriend it. When we listen before we act." - Rachel Naomi Remen
I love sunrises and was fortunate to capture this phone photo earlier this week.
Psychology and human behaviour have long piqued my curiosity. When I reflect on my past choices—the good and the bad—I try to learn from them. At the heart of that learning is a deep desire to understand why we do what we do.
In the early ‘90s, I attended a workshop called The Psychology of Success. It introduced me to helpful insights I had never encountered—insights that reshaped my understanding of life. I loved the course so much that I applied to deliver it to others.
Leading those workshops for over a year and a half was fulfilling and energizing, but self-doubt crept in, whispering that I was in over my head. Despite positive feedback and enjoying the experience, self-doubt won, and I walked away. Instead, I continued the entrepreneurial journey, returned to what I thought I knew best and opened restaurants. Some worked and some didn’t.
But who among us doesn’t have regrets? Life is hard. We all make mistakes, and we often punish ourselves for them. Yet I remind myself that we live in an imperfect world, and no one gets it right 100% of the time. What matters is how we grow from it and keep working to increase my percentage.
Kristi Nelson, in her book Waking Up Grateful, captures this beautifully:
“It is human—and culturally encouraged—to want to work on, change, refine, and try to ‘better’ ourselves, always aiming toward some yet-to-be and might-never-be future. But before we undertake any efforts toward self-improvement, we must first compassionately accept ourselves for the fullness and truth of who we are; acknowledge the courageous, circuitous path we took to get here; and recognize that it is all actually enough.”
Robert Holden reminds us: “No amount of self-improvement can make up for any lack of self-acceptance.”
True success begins within. If we want to transform what’s on the outside, we must first shift what’s happening on the inside. An essential part of healing from regret is learning to prioritize self-care, allowing discouragement to speak—not to define us, but to teach us why we feel the way we do. Discouragement is an invitation to practice self-love, not self-condemnation.
In this quote, Ralph Waldo Emerson addresses fear and self-doubt: “He who is not conquering some fear every day has not learned the secret of life.”
In her book Think, Learn, Succeed, cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf reinforces the power of our thought life:
“A growing body of evidence shows how our thought lives have incredible power over our intellectual, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Our thoughts can either limit us to what we believe we can do or free us to develop abilities well beyond our expectations or the expectations of others. When we choose a mindset that extends our abilities rather than limits them, we will experience greater intellectual satisfaction, emotional control, and mental and physical health.”
Author and lawyer Deborah King provides an excellent reminder: “The journey to self-forgiveness begins with self-acceptance.”
If for no other reason, self-acceptance heals brokenness, making a restored and joyful life possible. And at every moment, we always have a choice. When choosing to be self-accepting, Brené Brown suggests, “Talk to yourself like someone you love.”
We all need love; we are human, after all. ❤️
Inspiring Things
Music: HAVASI — Golden Eagle LIVE at Budapest Arena
Art: WOW…a pencil drawing extraordinaire.
Architecture: New Zealand’s Award Winners.
Bye for now, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Bruce
