Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 14 – Self-Esteem Every DayRationally, there cannot be guilt where there is neither choice nor responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 15 – Self-Esteem Every DayThe idea of original sin—of guilt with no possibility of innocence, no freedom of choice, no alternatives—inherently militates against self-esteem. The very notion of guilt without volition or responsibility is an assault on reason as well as on morality. Sin is not original, it is originated—like virtue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 16 – Self-Esteem Every DayIf you have done something you know to be wrong, if you feel guilty about it and wish to correct it, there are usually five steps you should take: 1 - Acknowledge the fact that it is you that have taken the particular action. Face and accept the full reality of what you have done without denial or disavowel. Acknowledge, accept and take responsibility. Do not say it really wasn't me.2 - Seek to understand why you did what you did. Understand where you were coming from.3 - If others are involved, as they often are, acknowledge explicitly to the relevant persons the harm you have done. Convey your understanding of the consequences of your behavior. Convey your understanding of how they have been affected. 4 - Take any and all actions that might make amends for or minimize the harm you have done.5 - Firmly commit yourself to acting differently in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 17 – Self-Esteem Every DaySome people would rather suffer the guilt than take the actions necessary to eliminate the guilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 18 – Self-Esteem Every DayThere is no virtue in guilt. The question is: What are you going to do about it? If you avoid that question, not only is guilt not a virtue, it is a cop-out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 19 – Self-Esteem Every DayIt is easy enough to say, Be true to your values. But what if your values are irrational? Or what if the virtues to which you have committed yourself are so imimical to human nature that they cannot be practiced consistently? Be careful of what you accept as your code of morality. Think carefully about whether its tenets serve your life and well-being. Exercise critical judgment. Realize how much is at stake—your life, your happiness, your self-esteem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 20 – Self-Esteem Every DayIf we see that our values are leading us towards destruction, clearly it is time to question our values. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 August 21 – Self-Esteem Every DayWithout self-responsibility we cannot practice integrity—we will not choose our moral code mindfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 August 22 – Self-Esteem Every DayAs spiritual advice, "Follow your bliss" is well intentioned, perhaps, but clearly inadequate. If one wished to reduce morality to a single sentence (which is a dubious endeavor), one had better say, "Live consciously; take responsibility for your choices and actions; respect the rights of others; and follow your bliss." But, of course, life is just too complex for moral one-liners, except insofar as they serve as reminders of basic principles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 August 23 – Self-Esteem Every DayIn a society where political figures, religious leaders, business associates, corporate heads, and other public personalities hold themselves to high standards of morality, it is relatively easier for an average person to practice integrity than it is in a society where corruption, cynicism, and amorality are the norm. In the latter kind of society, an individual is likely to feel that the quest for personal integrity is futile and unrealistic—unless he or she is extraordinarily independent and autonomous, inner-directed rather than outer-directed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 August 24 – Self-Esteem Every DayThe challenge for people today—and it is not an easy one—is to maintain high personal standards even while feeling that one is living in a moral sewer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 August 25 – Self-Esteem Every DayThe more you live consciously, the more you trust your mind and respect your worth; and if you trust your mind and respect your worth, it feels natural to live consciously. The more you practice integrity, the more you enjoy good self-esteem; and if you enjoy good self-esteem, it feels natural to practice integrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 August 26 – Self-Esteem Every DayWhen integrity comes to feel like your natural state, you feel dishonesty on your part as disturbing, and you feel a thrust to resolve the dissonance and restore an inner sense of moral cleanliness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 August 27 – Self-Esteem Every DayHere is a test for the feeling of integrity: Are you proud of your choices and actions? For most people it's a question more often avoided than confronted. But what an opportunity for growth the question offers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 August 28 – Self-Esteem Every DaySome people admire men and women of integrity; others are made nervous—they experience an unspoken sense of reproach, not knowing it lies within themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 August 29 – Self-Esteem Every DayWhen your own good opinion matters more than someone else's, you have the foundation for self-esteem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 August 30 – Self-Esteem Every DaySelf-esteem is not a luxury: It is a profound spiritual need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 August 31 – Self-Esteem Every DayThe virtues that self-esteem asks of us—living consciously, self-acceptance, self-responsibility, self-assertiveness, purposefulness, integrity—are also the virtues life asks of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 September 1 – Self-Esteem Every DayThe first love affair you must consummate successfully is the love affair with yourself. Only then are you ready for a romantic relationship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 September 2 – Self-Esteem Every DayWhen a man and a woman encounter each other in romantic love, seeking union, seeking fusion, seeking the experience of the most intimate contact, they come to each other from a context of aloneness. An understanding of this fact is essential. Paradoxically, If you wish to understand romantic love, you must begin by understanding aloneness, the universal condition of us all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 September 3 – Self-Esteem Every DayWe are all parts of one universe, true enough. We stand within an almost infinite network of relationships. Yet each of us is a single point of consciousness, a unique event, a private, unrepeatable world. This is the essence of our aloneness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 September 4 – Self-Esteem Every DayWithout an "I" who loves, what is the meaning of love? First there must be a self—then the exquisite joy of one self encountering another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 September 5 – Self-Esteem Every DayTo love a human being is to know and love his or her person. This communion presupposes the ability to see, and with reasonable clarity. Love without sight is not love, but self-deception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 September 6 – Self-Esteem Every DayAll of us experience who we are in the context of our relationships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stuart Kelly Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 September 7 – Self-Esteem Every DayAll positive interactions with other human beings involve, to some degree, the experience of visibility—that is, the experience of being seen and understood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now