Psychology tends to over-identify the flaw with deficiency. The unknown is not simply our there, outside us. The unknown dwells in the recesses of the human heart and becomes especially explicit in our flaws; consequently the true language of the self is hesitant, shadowed and poetic.*
(John O’Donohue)

we must persistently shed light on those aspects of ourselves that we prefer not to see in order to build our mental, emotional and spiritual capacity**
(Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz)

I wonder whether I am now ready to face truths about myself that I have so far overlooked, ignored, avoided or rejected.

My mind has been taken back to a moment in ministerial training college when the principal remarked how I was too quiet and may struggle leading in church life, and perhaps my graduation should be held up for a year.

In the end, it wasn’t and I didn’t struggle to speak up, but I would now want to weigh the worth of all those words.

I have come to understand how I enjoy quietness, listening, questioning and reflecting before having to speak.

What was suggested to be a deficiency perhaps was a flaw because I had left it unobserved and undeveloped, but it now feels like a defining strength for the work I do today.

There is a lot more to uncover and more possibilities to imagine and grow towards.

Facing the truth frees up energy and is the second stage, after defining purpose, o becoming more engaged. Avoiding the truth consumes great effort and energy.**

*From John O’Donohue’s Divine Beauty;
**From Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz’s The Power of Full Engagement.