As humans we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. We have things that we love or dislike about ourselves and issues that we may wish to change.

On the outside you may seem to be a happy person who laughs a lot or can easily make other people laugh, but on the inside, you are fighting your demons of anxiety, depression, or trauma from abuse.

You may show off a persona of confidence out in the public, but on the inside, you are full of insecurities and carry doubts in your own abilities.

You can show you’re a patient person, but deep down you know you are quick to a temper.

You are taught that you need to focus on your good side, your strengths, and change your negative side, which are your weaknesses, to become better. That can mean ways to decrease your feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, and so forth.

Sometimes you need to embrace your feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, etc. by understanding these feelings and know that it is truly okay to have these feelings rather than suppressing them. You can only make changes when you are ready.

An example that most people would say is that anxiety is bad. That can be true, especially if it negatively impacts your life and lifestyle. Know that it is okay for you to feel anxious and that you don’t have to work so hard to change.

You can work through the process with the help of an appropriate professional such as a licensed professional or a life coach depending upon the severity of your anxiety when you are ready and at your own pace and not based upon on other people telling you that you need help.

Don’t be afraid of your weaknesses or feel guilty, bad, or inferior for having those weaknesses or negative feelings. They are there to help you to grow and become stronger when you are ready to make necessary changes and you choose when it is time to let them go.

The overall big picture is that sometimes you need to embrace and go through the darkness, the dark period of your life and experience that in order to reach the light and experience the good things in your life. Embracing your negativity or weakness and working through them helps you to get to the positives and gain strengths in your life.

This picture to me depicts the light and dark sides that we all have in our lives and in ourselves.

SIX NAVIGATING POINTS TO CELEBRATE ALL OF YOU:

• Accept your ‘good’ and ‘bad’ side of you
• Embrace your shadow self as you do your positive self
• Know it is okay to have weaknesses or feelings of negativity
• Do your best to understand your ‘shadows’, have the courage to face them rather than shy away from them
• There is only one YOU and that makes you unique so celebrate your uniqueness
• Love Yourself first…the good, bad, and ugly, before you can love others