Better ask than assume

The late Bill Love used to tell the story of a psychiatrist, engineer, and doctor who got lost in the Canadian woods. Stumbling on a trapper's cabin but getting no response at the door, they went inside for shelter and waited for his return.

In the corner, on a crude platform at waist-high level, was a wood-burning stove. It quickly became not only the focus of interest for their half-frozen bodies but the center of their conversation as well.

The psychiatrist explained the stove's unusual position as evidence of psychological problems brought on by isolation. The engineer, on the other hand, saw it as an ingenious form of forced-air heating. The physician surmised the poor fellow had arthritis and found it too painful to bend over to fuel his stove.

When the trapper finally arrived, they could not resist asking about the stove whose warmth had saved them. "Simple," he said. "My stove pipe was too short."
I wasn't along for that hunting trip, but I've been where those guys were that day. I've tried to read someone's mind. I've seen motives that weren't there. I've walked into situations, caught a snippet of what was happening, and made a fool of myself by some badly chosen response. Or I've used a perfectly innocent slip of the tongue as my excuse to take offense. I can be a real jerk at times!
On occasion, the victim has been a stranger. At other times, it was a friend from church or colleague at work. Most often, it has been my wife or child.

Communication is a wonderful thing - when it happens. But there are so many barriers. Each of us brings baggage to every situation. Words can be vague or carry very different nuances for people from different backgrounds. Then there are the prejudices and blind spots all of us have.

Lots of confusion could be eliminated and far more progress made this week by following this simple rule: When something isn't clear, ask. Don't assume. Don't guess. Don't mind-read. Trying swallowing your pride and saying, "I'm not sure I understand. Do you mind explaining that to me?"

This simple strategy could save you embarrassment, time, and money. More important still, it might save one of your life's most important relationships.

Rubel Shelly

Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition to church and academic responsibilities, he has worked actively with such community projects as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, From Nashville With Love, Metro (Nashville) Public Schools, Faith Family Medical Clinic, and Operation Andrew Ministries. To learn more about Rubel please go to: www.RubelShelly.com

Misfortunes?

Every once in a while something bad happens.

Our previous experiences that caused us pain, the social conventions, and whatever we have been told by others about life, make us form the basic characterisics of what should be defined as ''bad''. Most people haven't really thought about it. They gave in to prejudice easily, and whenever they are faced with a misfortunate situation it baffles them.

To elaborate on that, it is understandable to react with anger, hostility, fear, guilt and depression towards certain things. Life, at times, doesn't seem fair. We lose our loved ones, our relationships wither away, our job sucks, our children don't want anything to do with us, our dreams seem distant and unreachable. Therefore, we react actively by suffering. We choose to blame our situation. That happens because, when bad things happen, it seems like we are not in control, and chaos upsets us. Suffering is our choice, and thus it is a way for our poor self to regain its control over what is happening.

Quoting Deepak Chopra:

-Hostility is remembered pain and the desire to get even.
-Fear is the anticipation of pain in the future.
-Guilt is self-directed pain when you blame yourself.
-Depression is the depletion of energy as a result of all the above.

People need empowerment, love, creativity. Creativity is translated into control by our subconcious mind, and we choose to feel pain. It is probable that we tried something that didn't work, and at that moment we felt afraid of failing again. We believed that our whole existence depends on our success or failure. Yet, existence is powerful and independent.

Sometime in the distant past, someone taught us that when something unfortunate happens, the appropriate reaction is to suffer about it. We should be grateful to those people. They protected us when we most needed it. Nevertheless, they introduced us to what I like to call: Scarcity Mentality. They taught us, maybe without even knowing it, that life is hostile and dangerous. That your personal beauty and power can be taken away by a simple misfortune, and that there is nothing we can do about it, except to reproduce the same results by acting in the same way.

A friend of mine helped me realise that all of these lead to one question that needs to be answered. Is life's purpose good, neutral or bad?

Is there any reason for life not to be trust-worthy? Bad things do happen, yet it is up to you to react to them. All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you are not good enough, or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you are the wrong height and the wrong weight to achieve anything. You will hear a thousand ''No's'' in your lifetime. Firm and desicive ''no's''. And we will tell them yes. You will obey. Why?

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but how we react to what happens to us, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes, just like a negative attitude would. It is a catalyst that expresses our inner flame and produces extraordinary results.

When you disempower youself by thinking that life's purpose is unfair, you make an important mistake; you stop to create desirable outcomes. You feel fear of failing (as if failure was possible), and thus you never try.

It is possible that you tried more than once to achieve something but it never seems to work out. But did you trust life fully while trying? Were you certain that no matter what happens, you will experience and enjoy a marvelous result? Have you allowed life to astonish you, and therefore have you freed youself?

Freedom is our divine right. Happiness as well. When negative things happen, it is up to us to choose how we'll react to them. They can be opportunities for growth, advancement and learning, as well as causes of suffering and fear. All in all, we have to make choices between fear and love all the time.

It seems that misfortunes are, after all, of neutral nature. They provide the ground in which we learn to act calmly and positively in whatever may occur. Our inner nature is calm, serene and creative. Not being in tune with our nature can cause multiple problems, one of which is unhappiness. So, why do you choose to be unhappy, when all the beauty of the world is available to you if you try?

''We promise according to our hopes and perform according to our fears'', was said. And it is true. We are afraid, and thus we are unfaithful to our higher self. Performing according to our fears will produce scarce results. Meanwhile, performing accorning to our hopes, will bring rays of sunshine in our life. If you make promises to yourself and then you see them failing, it is possible that you will believe in your incapability and lack of means. Yet, such an attitude will only bring more things to be anxious about. Life is teaching us lessons through whatever may be happening, and these lessons will definately prove to be useful in the future, no matter how harsh they be seem at first. In other words, acting in accordance to what you want to be is vital. Becoming what you want to be, that is.

Everything you need is already with you. Everything you'll discover will only add to your already beautiful self. Problems help us grow, and provide us with valuable lessons. It is hard to experience serenity and kindness if you haven't known pain.

May the joy be with you.

Photo-Inspiration

     

Quotes and Pictures have the amazing ability to inspire us in the blink of an eye! Their context can often be wise and clear to anyone willing to discover the meaning behind the words. So here is a set of pictures I've gathered!

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people -part II

The habits that lead to Interdependence


The next three habits in Stephen R. Covey's list address the subject of interdepence, which includes the cooperation of many for a goal that surpasses the individuals. Dependent people are not yet ready to take a leap towards interdependence.

 

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Synopsis: Genuinely strive for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value and respect people by understanding a "win" for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way. 
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Synopsis: Use empathetic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, respect, and positive problem solving. 
Habit 6: Synergize
Synopsis: Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one person could have done alone. Get the best performance out of a group of people through encouraging meaningful contribution, and modeling inspirational and supportive leadership.

Now, let us elaborate on these habits. After you have defined your goals, it is important not to ignore the fact that we live in societies and that our lives are constantly affected by other people. It is vital to remember that the responsibily for our lives is up to us, but using the contribution of others and aknowledging their presence can lead more effectively to the End.
The belief that in order for us to win, someone else has to lose is a scarcity belief, which can only lead to narrow-mindness. This world is abundant and plenty of opportunities arise in every corner. If you perceive your reality as a world of scarcity, that belief will be illustrated in your life. Nothing will ever be enough, because you wouldn't have realised or perceived the abundance and the beauty of the universe.
Fight-win relationships can only lead to war. If we understand that we are powerful creatures pursuing happiness and fulfillment, though, we will abandon the need to fight. We will be grasping the very essence of cooperation.
 In order to boost cooperation, it is imperative to develop a genuine wilingness to understand others. Empathy, caring, respect and positive thinking will not only help the other person, but also ourselves. Our inner mind will immediately perceive the importance of our action, and how profoundly it is in accord with our true and powerful self. Here it is, a win-win relationship in it's finest form!
When we manage to truly listen and understand the other person, we shall be free from the need to condemn and complain. Nothing hurtful will be tormenting us, because we will know, accept and cherish the present moment. Together, we will walk more easily towards our goals, and in accordance with nature.
Separation is an illusion, just as much as darkness is the lack of light. It has no special essence of its own.
 
The Last habit relates to self-rejuvenation:  
 
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Synopsis: Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle. And learn from the mistakes...
Our nature is better in tune with the universe when we are in motion. When we feel fear, it is as if we pause our current state of creativity. Our creative powers are numbed. And what happens when you numb the creative powers of a creative being? We flee from our true selves. Our inner mind will perceive the imbalance, ofcourse. Sharpening the Saw is about balancing and renewing your resources. Finding new ground to cover, findind new ideas to reflect. It is about the necessity to keep ourselves healthy and effective. The world includes an endless abundance of things to see, do and create. Straying from the creative path may lead to unhappiness and regret.

Learning from our mistakes is also another important part of this process. It is quite easy to feel  guilt, or to abandon our cause when we make mistakes. Yet, is is vital to understand that we only see the path we want to walk upon, through the path we do not want to, just as much we understand light through its absence (darkness). Mistakes help us grow and mature, if we do not let them rule our present moment. Being enslaved by the past also numbs our creative self. This self wishes to extend and experience, yet we deny the self that opportunity because we are enslaved by the past and the future. Mistakes should not be condemned. It is ok to make mistakes. Mistakes are the seeds that make the fruits of acceptance and self-awareness.
Proactivity is also an amazing concept!

Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who survived the death camps of Nazi Germany. While in the death camps, Frankl realized that he alone had the power to determine his response to the horror of the situation. He exercised the only freedom he had in that environment by envisioning himself teaching students after his release. He became an inspiration for others around him. He realized that in the middle of the stimulus-response model, humans have the freedom to choose. Frankl was pro-active. He understood that no matter the situation, he had the power to control his responce and produce a different result.
 Animals do not have this independent will. They respond to a stimulus like a computer responds to its program. They are not aware of their programming and do not have the ability to change it. The model of determinism was developed based on experiments with animals and neurotic people. Such a model neglects our ability to choose how we will respond to stimuli. If we accept that in a certain situation there is nothing to be done, we become passive and do nothing. Proactivity is about being driven by values. It is about knowing thyself. Gandhi said, "They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them." Our response to what happened to us affects us more than what actually happened! We can choose to use difficult situations to build our character and develop the ability to better handle such situations in the future. 
 Proactive people use their resourcefulness and initiative to find solutions, rather than just reporting problems and waiting for other people to solve them. Besides, through proactive action the person takes matters into his/her own hands. 

Take care :D

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Τhe first book of self-help I ever read and made a profound impact on me was The seven habits of Highly Effective Τeenagers, by Sean Covey. Sean Covey is the son of Stephen R. Covey, who published in 1989 The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It has sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages since first publication. Covey presents an approach to being effective in attaining goals by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles of a character ethic that he presents as universal and timeless. In August 2011, Time listed Seven Habits as one of "The 25 Most Influential Business Management Books".

That Sean Covey's book, dedicated to teenagers, changed my life for good. It appeared in my life at the perfect time and formed my worldview. It inspired the idea of achieving greatness and personal fulfillment in the younger me and I feel very grateful towards it.  This blog also aims to help people help themselves. We live in a time which in many aspects is better than any other time of the past, yet many of us suffer. Why is that so? This question has troubled me over the years and I find the mere idea of someone suffering inhuman. Not only inhuman, but also unnatural. Therefore, I have decided to try and do whatever I can to help people reach their natural state, a state of inner peace and love.

Let's not procrastinate and get straight to the point! 

Stephen R. Covey believes that our character is a collection of our habits, and habits have a powerful role in our lives. We are responsible for our life and our habits form our reality. Habits consist of knowledge, skill, and desire. Knowledge allows us to know what to do, skill gives us the ability to know how to do it, and desire is the motivation to do it.

The Seven Habits move us through the following stages:

1. Dependence: the paradigm under which we are born, relying upon others to take care of us. All of us have experienced that stage.
2. Independence: the paradigm under which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves. Independence is very important but hard to achive if your mindset is imprisoned.
3. Interdependence: the paradigm under which we cooperate to achieve something that cannot be achieved independently.                       

Much of the success literature today tends to value independence, encouraging people to become liberated and do their own thing. The reality is that we are interdependent, and the independent model is not optimal for use in an interdependent environment that requires leaders and team players. Misused independence may lead to selfish and narrow-minded attitudes. Yet, a healthy and creative personal stage of independence is necessary, since dependent people have not yet developed the character for interdependence

The first three habits focus on helping the reader move from Dependence to Independence, and the next three address Interdependence. Finally, the last one relates to self-rejuvenation.

Let us move to the Habits. As I mentioned before, the first three are related to Self Mastery.   

Habit 1: Be Proactive 

Synopsis: Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life's principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the subsequent consequences that follow.   

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind 

Synopsis: Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.  

Habit 3: Put First Things First 

Synopsis: Plan, prioritize, and execute your week's tasks based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts exemplify your desired character values, propel you toward goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in Habit 2.
 
Let us reflect on those three habits. They are presented as the desired form of action, because they lead a previously dependent person towards Self Mastery. Independence is the goal these habits aim to achieve.
Τhe first habit is of vital importance. It addresses the understanding that anything happening in your life is determined by your decisions and your actions. Ιf you believe that everything in your life is controled by factors that you have no power over, you immediately victimise yourself. You create the idea of a world in which something else and not you is responsible for your suffering and your pain. It is only natural to experience misfortunes. They are a part of life, for the time being. Yet, the reaction towards these misfortunes is up to you. Some of us will choose to suffer and pause our creative abilities, and others will decide to make the best out of the situation. ''Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent'', they said, and it is absolutely true. Furthermore, taking responsibility for what is happening to you, within reason ofcourse, will augment the belief that you are in charge of your own life. This doesn't mean that if things aren't going the way you think you want them to be going, you are incapable. On contrary, it simply means that whatever happens to you, whether you have consiously attracted it or not, you have the power to change and to form your goals.
Goal-setting is another important part of the procedure. If you know where you are going, you will be able to understand if your attitude and your actions are aligned with these goals. Therefore, you will be able to decide on the importance of every-day tasks. I believe that everything we need is right here with us at all times. It is healthy and effective to have goals and to form your life around them if they make you experience your true and higher self, but all the tools you need to make them a reality are inside you. I will elaborate on this very important matter later in my posts.

The next post will include the rest of the Habits.

Be happy :)

20 Lessons to Learn before you turn 20

A friend of mine will turn 19 soon, and I myself will turn 20, so we had a little chat about how important that birthday will be. It is, truly, a turning point. By that point, some of us will have thought about their dreams and aspirations, their hopes and their lives and they will have sorted out what you have learned. Some others will just be going with the flow, not having reflected upon their future goals. In both cases, the only way to set your goals, achieve them and be part of the ongoing proccess of development is to think about what you've already learned and make that part of your life.

So, here I present 20 things I've learned so far. I pass this list on to you with the simple hope that it makes you think. 

1. Bad things do happen to good people.
2. Every decision is a choice between love and fear.
3. People will find a way to judge you harshly, no matter what you do. 
4. If you never act, you will never know for sure.
5. Everyone has a deep inner desire for happiness.
6. Making mistakes is part of the proccess.
7. Taking ownership of failure builds the foundation for success.
8. Blaming yourself for your past deeds is acceptable only up to the point that it helps you maintain balance.
9. Forgiving yourself is the next step.
10. There is no such thing as failure. If you trust life you'll appreciate all ups and downs.
11. Maintaining unhealthy relationships may be extremely dangerous.
12. Your space is important. Live in a place you like, make it as beautiful as possible.
13. The simple things in life are... pretty awesome.
14. First impressions are completely worthless 50% of the time.
15. Old friends are amazing. It is so easier to act silly around them. And so much fun!
16. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
17. When you make a choice, you compromise with only the best available (and visible) option.
18. Thinking out of the box is vital on the road to success.
19. Encouraging those around you can be very fulfilling. Cherish those moments.
20. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.          
    
    
    The funny thing is that, by finishing this list, I realised how incomplete it is. I've learned so many more things through the course of the years, and I am not even 20 years old! Learning is a proccess which can happen anywhere, anytime, anyhow, if you are willing to let things in. Childhood will never completely end, if you do not allow it. But growing is part of life, and every age has its value. ''Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist when you grow up'', Picasso once said. Never forget that inner artist.
                                                    

Lies to stop telling yourself.

The lies we tell ourselves are the worst of them all. They have the ability to disempower us and to weaken our faith. They’ve been ingrained in our minds by bad external influences and negative thinking. 
All change starts from within, and it is of the utmost importance to clear up your mind of any negative thoughts that might have infiltrated it. Only then will you be able to develop and express your true self.


-Here is a list of lies we should stop telling ourselves.

1. I don’t have enough yet to be happy. – In every mistake and struggle there is a message. Life is not one-sided.  Some people miss the message because they’re too busy berating themselves for the mistake, accusing others or fretting over the problem.  To be upset about what you don’t have is always a waste of what you do have.  The happiest of people aren’t the luckiest, and they usually don’t have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.  The reason so many people give up is because they tend to look at what’s missing, and how far they still have to go, instead of what’s present, and how far they have come. 
2.  My dreams are impossible. – Don’t let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of going after yours. Some people believe that they have failed in their past and they are afraid to try again, so they cease to create. The best thing you can do in life is follow your heart.  Take risks.  Don’t just make the safe and easy choices because you’re afraid of what might happen.  If you do, nothing will ever happen!  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Same practice leads to same results. Let your dreams be bigger than your fears and your actions speak louder than your words.  Do something every day that your future self will thank you for. Even if you don't get where you plan and where you want, you'll get where you need. And it will be wonderful..! 
3. I am stuck with people who hurt me. – Life is kinda short.  Look out for yourself.  If someone continuously mistreats you, have enough respect for yourself to leave them.  It may hurt for a while, but it’ll be OK.  You’ll be OK.  Oftentimes walking away has nothing to do with weakness, and everything to do with strength.  We walk away not because we want others to realize our worth, but because we finally realize our own worth. You can choose to stay and try to help them understand the pain that they have caused you. That will help them grow, probably. But it will be a difficult task. Some of us don't want to change. And if someone doesn't want to do something, no person or power will ever be able to change him/her completely!
4. My failed relationships were a waste of time. – There are certain people who aren’t meant to fit into your life.  It is important to learn to say goodbye and bless the path they have before them with love and hope. But no relationship is ever a waste of time.  If it doesn’t bring you what you want, it teaches you what you DON’T want.  Never force someone to make a space in their life for you, because if they know your worth, they will surely create one for you. If they don't, it doesn't mean that you are not worthy. It simply means that their choices are compatible with yours. 
5. Things will never get better. – There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  That’s not how we’re made.  Getting hurt is part of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.  When you find yourself cocooned in isolation and cannot find your way out of the darkness, remember that this is similar to the place where caterpillars go to grow their wings.  Just because today is a terrible day doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be the best day of your life.  You just got to get there..! It is up to you.
6. Failure is bad. – Sometimes you have to fail a thousand times to succeed.  No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.  Don’t get so hung up on one failed attempt that you miss the opening for many more.  All of your ideas that don’t work are simply stepping stones on your way to the one idea that does.   And remember, failure is not falling down; failure is staying down when you have the choice to get back up.  Always get back up!  Oftentimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. 
7. Great things will come to me effortlessly. – We are who we choose to be.  Nobody’s going to come and save you, you’ve got to save yourself.  Nobody’s going to give you everything, you’ve got to go out and earn it.  Nobody knows what you want except for you.  And nobody will be as sorry as you if you don’t achieve it.  Never leave your key to happiness in someone else’s pocket, and don’t wait on someone else to build your dream life for you.  Be the architect and keeper of your own happiness.  The more you take responsibility for your past and present, the more you are able to create the future you dream of. 
8. My past is 100% indicative of my future. – At some point, we’ve all made mistakes, been walked on, used and forgotten. Mistakes are natural.  We’ve let people take advantage of us, and we’ve accepted way less than we deserve.  But we shouldn’t regret one moment of it, because in those moments we’ve learned a lot from our bad choices.  We’ve learned the meaning of friendship.  We’ve learned how to tell when people are lying and when they’re sincere.  We’ve learned how to be ourselves, and appreciate the great people and things in our lives as they arrive.  And even though there are some things we can never recover and people who will never be sorry, we now know better for next time. It is up to you, if your past will define your future or not. 
9. I never need to meet anyone new. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made.  People and priorities change.  As some relationships fade, others will grow.  Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work.  Trust your judgment.  Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. It will not be easy, but if you never try you'll never know. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever. Opportunity can be found even in the darkest of places.
10. I can’t live without those who are gone. – If someone comes into your life and has a positive impact on you, but for some reason they can’t stay, don’t mourn for too long.  Be thankful that your paths crossed and that they somehow made you happy, even if it was just for a short while.  Life is change.  People really do come and go.  Letting them grow in the way they think best, proves maturity and clarity of thinking. Forcing someone to stay is a sign of fear, fear of the unknown. But if you trust yourself and have faith in whatever lies before you, everything will be ok. Some people will come back, some won’t, and that’s okay.  And just because one person leaves, doesn’t mean you should forget about everyone else who’s still standing by your side.  Continue to appreciate what you have, and smile about the memories.
11. I’m not ready because I’m not good enough yet. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.  It may take years of practice before you achieve something, and even then there will be millions of more things to learn and do. Stop berating yourself for being a work in progress.  Start embracing it!  Because being a work in progress doesn’t mean you’re not good enough today; it means you want a better tomorrow, and you wish to love yourself completely, so you can live your life fully.  It means you’re determined to heal your heart, expand your mind and cultivate the gifts you have and you know you’re meant to share.  You are ready.  You just need to start.  
12. I have way too much to lose. – In the end you will not regret the things you have done nearly as much as the things you have left undone.  Trust me, you’d rather look back at your life and say, “I can’t believe I did that!” instead of, “I wish I would have…”  It’s better to think “Oh well,” than “what if.”  It’s better to have a lifetime full of mistakes that you learned from, rather than a heart full of regrets and empty dreams.
13. I am unworthy. – As I mentioned above, it is ok to make mistakes. Mistakes feed our inner self and help it grow. They demonstrate what is not in accordance with our dreams and ideals, and they make every day more meaningful. I personally believe failure doesn't exist. Not achieving a certain goal within a certain timeline, will only be conceived as a failure if you do not appreciate the present moment. The Power of Now is one of the most amazing concepts in the Universe. Staying constantly present is much harder than it seems, and most of us neglect it. Yet it is the only way to accept ourselves for who we are, embrace our dreams and contribute to a better future. Noone can make you feel inferior without your concent. You deserve love, simply because you exist. You are the divine being expressed.