Monday, March 05, 2007

Growing up this book sat on our shelves from the time of its release in 1973, until, well, I'm sure it's still around somewhere. I didn't know what transactional analysis was, but I loved that title. I kept that title as a mantra to bring comfort and reassurance to myself for years.

I'm still struggling with old relationships that are conditional, where my being "OK" means they can't be for some twisted and dysfunctional reason.

I'm digging through old books in my baseement, Healing the Shame that Binds You, Co-Dependent No More, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Pulling Your Own Strings,boxes and boxes of self-help books. I've mired myself in self-help. I'm self-helped out. Done. There can't possibly be a book out there that is going to tell me what I don't already know. I think staying locked in the reading phase has kept me from the doing phase.

Today I graduate myself. I give myself an honorary degree in self-mastery. Of course I am not fully self-mastered, but I'm taking the degree anyway. Staying in the program has out served its purpose.

I am OK.

If you're not OK? That's really not my problem anymore.

9 comments:

kario said...

Hallelujiah! Take those books to the used bookstore and be done with them. You are smart enough to trust your own instincts on how to heal when you need it. And you have a pretty willing circle of women who will surround you if circumstances demand it.

You are MORE than okay - you are phenomenal!

riversgrace said...

Perfect. Experiential learning, all for it!

Suzy said...

You were ALWAYS okay!!

Nancy said...

Your own wisdom has moved way beyond that dusty library. Happy Graduation!

Anonymous said...

I, too, have at least 5,462 of those "self-help" books in my bookshelves, and they look so dated to me now! Even Dr. Phil's "Self Matters", which was all the rage (remember?), is so, well, 90's! Will "The Secret" be the same way, 10 years from now? Hmmmmm. I think it all boils down to this: forget your past, move forward, love yourself and those you love. Do what makes you happy. Period.

Jerri said...

You are so VERY okay, my love. Waaaaay beyond okay. It doesn't matter what you do with the books. All that matters is what you do with YOU.

Thanks for this reminder.

Ask Me Anything said...

Well said!

Kim said...

Good for you!! You are WAY more than okay. You are amazing, all-powerful, and completely fabulous!

jennifer said...

Jack Kornfield has a wonderful series...Beginners Meditation and he says, on one of the tapes...I'm not okay, you're not okay and that's okay.

It's true. None of us are okay....and it's okay!

Will you still love me??