I Am ‘the Other’ to Someone Else

Reflect

It’s easy to look around and identify someone who lives in the shadows of our society. But sometimes, when I look in the proverbial mirror, I see a stranger looking back at me. “How could I have said that to a person I supposedly love?” “Why did I treat that worker in the store so poorly?” “Why do I lie to myself to get out of having to deal with the hard things in life?” Personal accountability is crucial, but we have to take care not to careen into unhealthy negative thinking. May God guide me—and you—along the right path.

Pray

God,
I am enough for you,
but many times,
I feel that I am not enough for myself and others.
My inner critic could use a volume button.
Maybe it doesn’t need to be muted,
but it doesn’t need to be blaring, either!
Help me, Lord, to balance knowledge and understanding
with well-founded optimism.
Help me to be more myself
so that I can be the person others need me to be.
Amen.

Act

There are lots of methods of self-care, but beginning from a prayerful and positive place helps to keep your energy up along the way. Before exercising, eating a healthy meal, or meditating, say a quick prayer asking God for patience and strength.