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And that’s all that I yam…..REALLY???

“I think, therefore I am.”   Ok….AND??

We, as human beings have made great strides in understanding and appreciating the necessity of being self-aware.  As parents we SHOULD know how important it is to teach our children to embrace their individuality and uniqueness.

My question is….Is being aware enough?  I’ve given many a cyber chuckle even a few snorts and beverage spews with the phrase, “I AM a self aware woman.”  Usually associated with an inappropriate psycho sexual response to shoes, booze, food and tattoos.

I like to think my confession is more than a punch line.  I like to think I am self aware.  I can list my pros and cons with, what I consider, rare honesty and insight.  (Vanity is among them, along with sloth, greed, pride, loyalty, stubbornness, love, creativity, sense of humor, good hair and teeth and a darn good cook.)

BUT ( nothing matters before the “but”)….is it enough?  Is it enough for me to simply OWN my penchant for laziness…not only lazy I said SLOTH – biblical levels of lazy?  Is it enough to know in my heart I am a font of creativity?   I think the answer is NO.  Being self-aware is not enough. We MUST be actively engaged in that awareness.

It’s not enough to acknowledge our failings.  We MUST seek to correct.  We are human beings.  We have that option.  The lion will always be a lion.  Man can choose to be a jackass or not. We can choose to be short tempered and volatile or deal with our anger in ways that help the situations.  I, KRB, can CHOOSE to be lazy OR work on my time management and decide that a clean house, finished book, well kept garden, and well organized charity events are more important than braless pajama days, being the first to comment on the newest angry cat meme, being the funniest in 140 characters or less and the next level of Candy Crush.

Further, it’s not enough to acknowledge our attributes.  We owe it to each other to use our gifts.  As a woman of faith I believe I OWE it to God to create, to be kind, to show love, to stand by those people He has placed in my life.  I was taught and given mothering instincts, I MUST listen and use them to BE a good mother.  (Not easy, it means pissing off the cherubs regularly.)

I think the other side of actively engaged self awareness is demanding the same from others.  SURE I believe we love people and ourselves “as is”.  I don’t think that means we accept or condone every behavior.  The best friends/spouse/family are the ones who bring out the best in us…by earning our best and also by expecting our best.  We cannot be our best selves by copping out with “I yam what I yam.”  And we must not accept that excuse from others.

Do you agree?  Is it enough to KNOW ourselves? Should we, in accepting others and ourselves “as is” also expect to rise above our failings or rise to our potential?

~KRB