You can fool yourself, you know. You'd think it's impossible, but it turns out it's the easiest thing of all. Jodi Picoult
Ah self-deception. We are good at it aren't we? We allow ourselves to fool ourselves! We choose to be blinded to things that we need to improve on or be healed from. We choose to muffle our hearing to the things that others see in us that could be, should be, changed. We choose to raise walls and build fortresses around ourselves so that others are blocked from speaking truth into our lives. We let sinful pride be our mode of operation when someone raises a concern or presents a valid criticism. And in our self-deception the one we hurt the very most is ourselves. We delay our character development (You never quit developing character btw, it is a lifelong process. You have not arrived much as you might like to think so.) and any healing we need to experience when we allow ourselves to be fooled into thinking we are better than we are in this or that.
Oh sure. Nobody likes to have their shortcomings pointed out to them. But what if we were grown up enough to allow them to be examined by us and own the ones that may be valid? What if we allowed truth to penetrate the walls of pride we have erected in our life? What if we made the choice to not knee-jerk react and quit the job or leave the relationship but instead work through it? Indeed, what if? What would be different about our relationships, work environments, etc? A knee-jerk response only proves that indeed we are self-deceived, unwilling to hear hard things, and immature. It actually ends up proving the very things that were brought up that we are so set against!
Every time I witness this happening in the life of someone I know I take a step back myself and examine areas where I might be self-deceived. I usually end up emailing a person or two and asking them to speak truth to me about possible places I am choosing to be blinded to in my life. While I have a long way to go I have improved in some areas. For example, in the workplace. If I don't catch the mistake I made first and it is pointed out to me I am quick to own it and fix it. I make restitution (this is a biblical practice that we don't like to practice these days) in whatever way is appropriate. Usually it is simply just owning the mistake, not trying to make excuses for it, and then fixing it - making it right. And then taking steps to make sure the mistake doesn't happen again on my watch.
Does today's topic strike a nerve with you? GOOD. It should! It should strike a nerve with all of us because we all have blind spots in our life! Be willing to hear what others might be saying to you, be willing to examine feedback and accept it. You will thank yourself later, I promise.
Ah self-deception. We are good at it aren't we? We allow ourselves to fool ourselves! We choose to be blinded to things that we need to improve on or be healed from. We choose to muffle our hearing to the things that others see in us that could be, should be, changed. We choose to raise walls and build fortresses around ourselves so that others are blocked from speaking truth into our lives. We let sinful pride be our mode of operation when someone raises a concern or presents a valid criticism. And in our self-deception the one we hurt the very most is ourselves. We delay our character development (You never quit developing character btw, it is a lifelong process. You have not arrived much as you might like to think so.) and any healing we need to experience when we allow ourselves to be fooled into thinking we are better than we are in this or that.
Oh sure. Nobody likes to have their shortcomings pointed out to them. But what if we were grown up enough to allow them to be examined by us and own the ones that may be valid? What if we allowed truth to penetrate the walls of pride we have erected in our life? What if we made the choice to not knee-jerk react and quit the job or leave the relationship but instead work through it? Indeed, what if? What would be different about our relationships, work environments, etc? A knee-jerk response only proves that indeed we are self-deceived, unwilling to hear hard things, and immature. It actually ends up proving the very things that were brought up that we are so set against!
Every time I witness this happening in the life of someone I know I take a step back myself and examine areas where I might be self-deceived. I usually end up emailing a person or two and asking them to speak truth to me about possible places I am choosing to be blinded to in my life. While I have a long way to go I have improved in some areas. For example, in the workplace. If I don't catch the mistake I made first and it is pointed out to me I am quick to own it and fix it. I make restitution (this is a biblical practice that we don't like to practice these days) in whatever way is appropriate. Usually it is simply just owning the mistake, not trying to make excuses for it, and then fixing it - making it right. And then taking steps to make sure the mistake doesn't happen again on my watch.
Does today's topic strike a nerve with you? GOOD. It should! It should strike a nerve with all of us because we all have blind spots in our life! Be willing to hear what others might be saying to you, be willing to examine feedback and accept it. You will thank yourself later, I promise.
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