Choose to Take the Journey

I am writing this to a friend as much as I am writing this to myself.

Anyone can criticize.  It’s easy (and sometimes gratifying) to tear someone apart, finding fault with anything that doesn’t conform to your ideals and expectations.  What’s difficult, is to turn the looking glass on yourself, to see all the shortcomings and contradictions in your words and actions.  Not that you need to fruitlessly root out every last defect that crops up, but at least be honest with yourself in the areas that matter–areas of your life that you’d like to shine in and in which fabricating self-assuaging stories about why you can’t succeed would delay your ascent.

Instead of taking your friend’s successes as affronts to your self-worth, treat them as spiritual demands to step up.  Your jealousy as an indication of a problem area you need to work on.  Your pain as a barometer of how far you have left to go.

Your friend doesn’t need another critic cutting his branches, keeping him contained.  He doesn’t need more doubts impeding his expansion.  He needs a friend to keep him company as he tries to kiss the sun.  He needs a friend to support him when enemy gales pound on him.  He needs a friend with whom to share the sunlight, the fresh air, and the joy of destiny-fulfillment, both yours and his.  He needs someone, like you, to be a real friend.

If you liked this, be sure to check out:
Be a Good Friend