I adopted my father’s rage at a young age, and learned to wrestle with the best of them, typically boys, ’cause Father said never hit a girl. Most days, I’d return from school with debris in matted hair and torn stockings. Mother would shake her head, muttering:
“No one will ever love you.”
I heard: you’ll never be good enough for love, so I married a man whose every complaint was prefaced with: If you loved me enough, you would….
It wasn’t until I was thirty-nine and he decided to move on that I declared war on the messages that were influencing my choices.
“I am good enough for love!” I shouted to no one in particular, like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum.
Then someone suggested I lose a few words to make the mantra more empowering.
“I am enough for love!” I tried on for size, deciding that the good was redundant.
Then: “I am enough!” or “I am love!”
and eventually settled on “I am!”
I am is a much lighter loader to carry, and oh, so freeing.
This week think about what you might subtract from your life to free up energy – emotionally, physically, or psychologically. Naturally, creative discretion is yours – this doesn’t need to be a personal subtraction; global issues work too.
To participate, create a post on your own site and link back here. Or leave a comment. Looking forward to all responses.
This is incredibly beautiful V.J.! Thank you for sharing your heart with us! ❤
Subtraction – https://awisewomansjourney.wordpress.com/2020/01/19/subtraction/
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Right back at you, Deborah!
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One of your best pieces! I’ve added you in.
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So sad.
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Ah yes. The childhood messages that hum in our brains for too long. So much work to revise.
“I am”…I like it.
My contribution:
http://oneletterup.com/2020/01/18/no-worries
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Thanks. It is an ongoing battle it seems. I like your idea.
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You’re welcome. It can also be an exhausting battle.
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I understand. Sending you gentle hugs.
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Thank you.
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Welcome
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https://curatingthoughts.blog/2020/01/15/untangling-roots/
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My subtraction is still ongoing. https://odaciuk.wordpress.com/2020/01/16/fragility-of-aging/
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Unfair. Hope you have support.
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As they say, life is not fair. 😦 I’m still waiting on a specialist.
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I know that can be a long wait. Please take care.
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I’ll try! ❤
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I feel for you Olga. This is terrible.
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Good one!
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Loss is definitely subtraction.
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This is very empowering, V.J. Here is my take on the prompt. https://amanpan.com/2020/01/14/holiday-aftermath/
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Thanks! Love it.
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😉
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Nicely done.
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Smiling…
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VJ, excellent. There is a movie called “I am” which focuses on what makes us happy. It is a series of interviews with religious leaders, academics, psychologists, regular folks, etc. The key punchline is “money does not make you happy; but the absence of money can make you unhappy.” In other words, we need enough to feed, clothe and house our families, but more money has a vastly diminishing margin of utility. Keith
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Interesting. I know I am not the first to explore the concept of “I am”. Knowing about it and examining it for self are different. Ah, life’s riddles. We all explore.
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♥️
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Thanks
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Your words touch on such universal truths that some days I feel as if you really get me.
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Love this! So empowering
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Thank you Lauren. Hope you’ll join in.
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Hi, VJ! This is really, really inspiring.
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Thanks Indira.
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You are welcome, dear.
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Wow VJ this is empowering and really inspiring…😀😀😀
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Thanks so much.
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