#self grace

𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓎 𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓅𝓈

GRACE//Defined:

unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification;

a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance;

moral strength: the grace to perform a duty;

mercy; clemency; pardon: He was saved by an act of grace;

favor or goodwill. Synonyms: kindness, kindliness, love, benignity; condescension.

So this post isn’t about motivation, goals, or anything that involves forcing yourself to get it together. This post is about grace. Self grace. The kind of grace you offer a friend when she needs advice or needs to vent about circumstances that went a different way than expected.

How do we talk to a friend who needs that grace? We don’t usually pound truth into someone; we listen, we try to understand, we try to empathize, or at least..sympathize. I think there are times in life—many times—when we need to offer ourselves the same grace we offer everyone else. I’m not talking about grace as in the way you enter a room or deal with conflict, I’m talking about evaluating your life situation as it is right now and breathing perspective into it from your own eyes…Your experience of being with yourself everyday of your life, looking in the mirror, understanding your place in time—paired with the goals of where you want to be and your dreams of where you’ll be tomorrow and in a year and respecting yourself for being where you’re at right now.

I learned in high school that there are two kinds of people in life. And the first kind of person is the person who believes that they’re stuck in the situations because of external reasons or reasons they can’t control. And yes, we can’t control every life situation, but this person doesn’t see themself as a player in the game…of life. Or whatever you want to call it. They see themself as a reactionary to all of the events and circumstances that float through our days and years.

Then there are the kinds of people who believe that we are dealt certain situations beyond control at times, but for the most part, we can choose how to react and how to shape the outcome of the experiences of our lives by the thoughts we think, the decisions we make and our reactions to the people involved.

We can decide each and every day which kind of person we want to be. We can decide to have grace for ourselves and our situations and we can decide to forgive situations, people, circumstances…and utmost, ourselves for where we are and perhaps why we’re not standing where we thought we’d be standing at the point in our lives that we’re at right now.

Oftentimes, I look at my friends and family and think about how well they’re doing and how thankful I am for the grace they offer me throughout my life. Because that’s what you do when you love people and when you love the people in your life. You offer them the grace you wish to receive yourself. If they’re true to you, they offer you that grace right back.

And since this Muddy Rugs series has been all about fresh commitments and habit change + formation, I’m also committing myself to offering myself the same grace I try to offer those who are important to me in my life, and even those who only play a small part in my life.

This is our life all the same, no dress rehearsal. 

Here’s to self grace.