Striving To Be Perfect Vs. Acceptance

[kingfisher]

Originally Posted by thebeautifulsacred

Yes! I feel like society puts the emphasis on striving for perfection, and acceptance comes later, after we've achieved everything that should make us "acceptable". Whereas, maybe the emphasis should be on pure acceptance. That's a good saying, cease to cherish opinions. I like that.

I'm not exactly sure just what "society" give emphasis to..... The mind boggles at times.

Just to add that as I understand it, it's the word "cherish" that should be considered. Nothing wrong with a few opinions as such, but to cling to them, cherish them, identify with them, often leads to the death of growth, and our precious little self congeals.

The Buddha spoke of the Dharma ( truth ) being like a raft, for crossing over not for grasping.

[lemex]

Originally Posted by thebeautifulsacred

I'm not sure what you mean by this?

You had said they seem to contradict each other. If I see an opposite is this a feeling of conflict of self "how I am" and "what I want to be". I think they express each other. We are working to what we do not know or feel, nothing more. We are already perfect, only we don't know it. I am not guessing here, just saying there may be another reason instead of just one. It is a process. You will actually see as you become better, you always were. You'll understand at that time.

I have a feeling "generally" we often feel we're not good enough that we accept. An inner feeling that may start from such things as religions and even people who tell you, you're not suppose to feel this as you are not, you're suppose to work to be better. I'm just aware sometimes people are told they aren't good enough. The example of being told one is a sinner and not good enough, when actually one can be.

It is possible to strive for perfection to be accepted which is the conflict. Do we logically feel we aren't good enough? Just saying be aware.

[thebeautifulsacred]

Originally Posted by vespa68

Yes I agree

You agree with what?

[thebeautifulsacred]

Originally Posted by kingfisher

I'm not exactly sure just what "society" give emphasis to..... The mind boggles at times.

Just to add that as I understand it, it's the word "cherish" that should be considered. Nothing wrong with a few opinions as such, but to cling to them, cherish them, identify with them, often leads to the death of growth, and our precious little self congeals.

The Buddha spoke of the Dharma ( truth ) being like a raft, for crossing over not for grasping.

Yes. Interesting.

[thebeautifulsacred]

Originally Posted by lemex

You had said they seem to contradict each other. If I see an opposite is this a feeling of conflict of self "how I am" and "what I want to be". I think they express each other. We are working to what we do not know or feel, nothing more. We are already perfect, only we don't know it. I am not guessing here, just saying there may be another reason instead of just one. It is a process. You will actually see as you become better, you always were. You'll understand at that time.

I have a feeling "generally" we often feel we're not good enough that we accept. An inner feeling that may start from such things as religions and even people who tell you, you're not suppose to feel this as you are not, you're suppose to work to be better. I'm just aware sometimes people are told they aren't good enough. The example of being told one is a sinner and not good enough, when actually one can be.

It is possible to strive for perfection to be accepted which is the conflict. Do we logically feel we aren't good enough? Just saying be aware.

This may very well be a feeling of a conflict of self.

I'm not sure I follow...

[vespa68]

Originally Posted by thebeautifulsacred

You agree with what?

Yes the way you wrote it was not clear. I don't agree then because full self acceptance would not come until you finish knowing your inner truth however along the way in working towards that you would have more acceptance of yourself. You accept yourself once you understand yourself but there are many,many layers til you completely get to your full truth.

[thebeautifulsacred]

Originally Posted by vespa68

Yes the way you wrote it was not clear. I don't agree then because full self acceptance would not come until you finish knowing your inner truth however along the way in working towards that you would have more acceptance of yourself. You accept yourself once you understand yourself but there are many,many layers til you completely get to your full truth.

Sorry about that. What if you never get to your full truth? Can we ever really achieve perfection?

[vespa68]

Originally Posted by thebeautifulsacred

Sorry about that. What if you never get to your full truth? Can we ever really achieve perfection?

Everyone achieves that and are going higher in consciousness as the vibration of the earth keeps getting higher. We are all at different levels of consciousness though. I can tell you that I have been getting very close to my inner truth because of a humungous spiritual awakening. I am highly sensitive to energy and as an energy worker I can test this out by knowing the inner truth of clients more and more.

[Cmt12]

Originally Posted by thebeautifulsacred

I've come across these two (seemingly) contradictory ideas about spiritual growth. How much of our spiritual journey is about self improvement and how much is about self acceptance?

Self-improvement is the overall, larger goal. Self-acceptance is like a pit stop along the way if you are feeling overwhelmed.

Originally Posted by thebeautifulsacred

I've come across these two (seemingly) contradictory ideas about spiritual growth. How much of our spiritual journey is about self improvement and how much is about self acceptance?

Just to add another layer of contradiction, there is no time and everywhere is, so everywhere is right here right now. That puts paid to Spiritual Journey, Spiritual Growth and self improvement. Yeah I know, it's a tad facile but sometimes it stops making any kind of sense.

Perfection is a concept and the conceptual and the practical cannot co-exist, it's as simple as that. And we are not Spiritual concepts. But then is it so hard to think that self acceptance is a part of our self improvement, because if we accept our 'warts and all' isn't that more significant than trying to deny them? And if we accept them it gives us something to improve from? We become perfect for the job of self accepting and self improvement, and because of this we grow Spiritually. In that there is a much deeper Spirituality, that of the trinity.

Self acceptance and self improvement are not contradictory, they're complimentary and together they catalyse Spiritual growth. One plus one equals three, trinity.