Insisting on the Best

We deserve the best life and love have to offer,
be we are each faced with the challenge of learning
to identify what that means in our life.
We must each come to grips with our own understanding
of what we believe we deserve,
what we want, and whether we are receiving it.

There is only one place to start,
and that is right where we are,
in our current circumstances.
The place we begin is with us.

What hurts? What makes us angry?
What are we whining and complaining about?
Are we discounting how much a particular behavior is hurting us?
Are we making excuses for the other person,
telling ourselves we're "too demanding"?

Are we reluctant, for a variety of reasons,
especially fear, to tackle the issues in our relationships that may be hurting us?
Do we know what's hurting us and do we know
that we have a right to stop our pain,
if we want to do that?

We can begin the journey
from deprived to deserving.
We can start it today.
We can also be patient and gentle with ourselves,
as we travel in important increments from
believing we deserve second best,
to knowing in our hearts that we deserve the best,
and taking responsibility for that.

Today, I will pay attention to how I allow people to treat me,
and how I feel about that. I will also watch how I treat others.
I will not overreact by taking their issues too personally and too
seriously; I will not underreact by denying that certain behaviors
are inappropriate and not acceptable to me.

Melody Beattie