We Have Nothing to Prove

It’s hard to imagine, I know, because it seems we’ve been asked to prove ourselves from the very beginning, what with the various rating systems in education, societal norms and even familial expectations.

So how does one hold her sense of personal value without needing to demonstrate one thing or another for all to see?

I’m still entertaining this question, even though I do trust more and more in my inherent value as I continue to grow. I’ve learned many a lesson about the importance of simply BE-ing rather than DO-ing, but this still begs the question of how we are meant to show up as we interact with our world, because we are ultimately relational beings.

I believe this particular inquiry is an integral part of being human at this time in history.

Now, we do owe others kindness and compassion, so that certainly impacts our behavior.

Ah, but here’s the key: We can only act out of true kindness and compassion for others once we’ve developed authentic kindness and compassion for ourselves—for who we really are underneath all the performance, goals and effort.

How about you? Do you ever find yourself driven by a need to prove your value or your worthiness? How might your life change if you were to allow this need to fall away?