Thursday, March 25, 2010

Go ahead. Be needy.

When it comes to talk about being yourself and accepting yourself, the world has enough to last us until the apocalypse.

How about this, though — not just accepting ourselves as individuals, but accepting ourselves as humans?

With being human come certain inevitabilities that our culture doesn't always incline us to look fondly upon.

For example, humans are meant to:
  • get tired and sleep
  • get hungry and eat
  • have fat on their bodies
  • be sad, angry, and joyful in turn
  • depend on other humans
  • go outside regularly
  • have down time
  • make mistakes (And I don't mean, "It happens that we make mistakes and I guess that's okay, though once we better ourselves sufficiently we won't anymore." Making mistakes is a part of being, and if it's unavoidable, it must be all right.)
Just as with accepting one's personality, coming to terms with the implications of being human, acknowledging and owning them, is a prerequisite for doing awesome things.

So many of our fellow persons have spent so much time and energy figuring out for themselves that these inescapable facts of human-being are, in fact, truly inescapable. And we have their permission to go ahead and build off this knowledge. To live lives that accommodate our human needs, because then we can find the simple beauty in these needs — in nourishing ourselves, in trusting our friends with an honest answer about how we are doing, in putting the textbooks away to get a restful night of sleep —and then, when we are not consumed with trying to fight and deny our neediness, we are free to do truly great things.

10 comments:

  1. I've been feeling less human lately. Thanks for putting things into perspective for me! :)

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  2. Ah, yes. THIS is why I love you and consider you the best big sister ever.

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  3. Anonymous - Yess, definitely claim what you're in need of. :)

    Faith - Thank you, heart.

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  4. Sometimes I see you as an old head on young shoulders. Wisdom is yours in abundance, girlie!

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  5. •depend on other humans
    •go outside regularly

    I've been forced to remember those lately. And it's actually not so bad. hmm.

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  6. Gabi - This kind of post is me talking to myself as much as to anyone else. That distance between knowing and believing!

    Noel - Enjoying the attending-to-your-needs bit? I hope so/good.

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  7. "if it's unavoidable, it must be okay."
    yes.
    and thank you.

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  8. Haven't commented in forever, but I've been keeping up. Your posts have been really inspirational. Thanks for the wake-up call. :)

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  9. Cassandra - Yes? I'm glad for the timing then. You're very welcome.

    Erin - You're welcome, amiga.

    Rebecca Joy - Thank you! And nice to see your "face" again...:)

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