Lesson 19: Change and Acceptance (Part 5)

This post is my thoughts on a lesson from the Beyond Freedom home study course for personal growth and life achievement. This course has been instrumental in transforming my life from stress-full to stress-FREE. Order your own copy today at: http://www.LibertyLeague.com/margieremmers And transform YOUR life from where you are now, to where you want to be.

Over the last few days I have really been working through this lesson. This is why Beyond Freedom is considered a 90-day program even though there are actually only 29 lessons. Sometimes you just need time to work through stuff!

Yesterday I answered the question, "What are the top three things you would like to change about yourself?"

You can read the entire post here, but basically I chose:
1. My physical appearance
2. My social standing
3. My perfectionism

Today's question is...

3. What are the habits you have established to enable those undesirable behaviors to flourish?

Wow. Placing the responsibility smack on my shoulders!!!!

In fact, yesterday I wrote about those very habits. I know I could be thinner and have a better body--but I just don't do it.

I know I could have more friends if I put in the effort--but I just don't do it.

Now, the perfectionism thing...that's a little harder. I think it's because with losing weight and gaining friends are things I can DO, whereas with perfectionism, it's things I should NOT do.

But thinking about it now, perhaps the answer is to find things that specifically break my perfectionism habit--like leave a (gasp!) typo in this post?! :o)

The point is, and what this lesson brings out so clearly, is that everything we want to change about ourselves is just a choice--choosing to walk toward what we want or walk away from what we want.

So I think I have time to answer one more question in this exercise:

4. Can you forgive yourself and accept who you are? (Write the answer in a complete sentence.)

Yes, I can forgive myself and accept who I am.

It's interesting. I got back from the Bahamas a few weeks ago, where I had the opportunity to spend time with Andy Andrews, author of The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success. One of the decisions is "The Responsible Decision." Andy explained that taking responsibility for something does not mean taking the blame for how you got there, but rather, taking responsibility for your future. He quotes Harry S. Truman, "The buck stops here," and says that we must decide that, "I will not let my history control my destiny."

So yes, I can forgive myself and accept who I am, but I will also take responsibility for my future. If I want these things to change, then I must be responsible for taking the action to make it happen.