I'm guessing you dont do that very often. Why? Because a lot of us, especially women, are programmed to be our own worst detractors. We poison our own wells with criticism, negativity,and self-loathing. Stirred in with a generous dose of guilt. Not only that, but we usually think that its not right to praise ourselves or to take pride in our own achievements. We could do to take a few tips from the all-time greatest creator and artistic genius. God.
If you believe in God ( and doesn't necessarily have to be the same God that i believe in), then you probably have no objection to my describing God worshipfully as - the greatest designer EVER. I see evidence of that everywhere, in the gentle perfection of a frangipani flower, the majesty of a starfilled sky, the feel of golden sand beneath my feet, even the gurgle of a happy baby. But you know, when God was done with making everything, even He took a moment to savor it. To say, 'Wow, I made that and its beautiful! This work really is glorious!"
"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth...and God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good." The Book of Genesis.
He didnt say, 'ohmigosh Antarctica is just sooooo bland with all that white, I knew I should have sprinkled a bit of colour there...and what was I thinking when i made cockroaches?...and the moon? Its just so dead. Messy. Incomplete. Not even a hint of happiness on it anywhere, talk about a failure...' No. He delighted in what he had made. All of it.
How about you? Look around you - what achievement are you particularly proud of? What nifty little thing are you really good at that you should pat yourself on the back for? Is there something that you worked hard on and the result was splendid? And Im not talking about finding the cure for cancer or earning a million dollars last month. ( but if you did that - then heck, shout it from the rooftops! woohoo!) No, I mean the regular, everyday kinda stuff. I will never forget the day i first made soap. To take completely unrelated, mundane ingredients, combine them together and end up with something completely new - that you could actually bathe with - was a thrilling experience. I did that. Me, Lani the domestically challenged, I made soap. And it was very good. I get the same feeling of achievement when i make pickles. Or try a new brownie recipe and the Fab5 love it. Sometimes, I come across an essay I wrote at Uni, a story I published in a Lit Journal somewhere, read it and think, "Ohmigosh, did I really write that? That's good. I didnt know I could write like that!" Its rare. But when I do allow myself to 'check out' my own handiwork with a generous eye - it feels good.
Now its YOUR turn! Tell us what you've made/created/achieved lately that you're proud of.
Everyone who leaves a comment on this post, will go into the draw to win one of TWO sets of coconut oil soap, lotion and body oil from Coconut Queen Products. ( aka made by ME!) Leave a comment before July 12th when the winners will be announced. You can see some pictures of stuff I used to make here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30957304@N08/page2/
Frangipani Coconut Oil from Samoa. (is heavenly stuff.)
