Accepting the me in me: friends who inspire me to stay on track
By Imane Fawzy Nofal
Well, I have a problem with myself. Sometimes, I boast about being me, I feel proud, happy and confident. At other times, I don’t like myself so much, I feel upset, frustrated and have low-esteem. I know quite well that life is composed of ups and downs and that this is normal. Yet, the downs seem like a thorn just around the corner of the heart. When your heart beats, it slightly touches the thorn, and the pain starts starts … clearly and well defined, the pictures sharper than the cameras of the cinema. A flashback and I can see myself and whoever has hurt me in my mind. I feel the tears rising, the ache is heavier, lungs feel full, breathing is shorter and it all ends! It is a strong emotional melt-down that pokes your pride and lowers your self esteem.
This is me when I face a hurtful situation. Sometimes, we let these hurts pile up because we feel that we cannot change them. It tends to make us feel helpless, as if we are letting ourselves down, disappointing our families, and we don’t know how to go on and overcome these feelings. Could it be that I don’t accept certain aspects of myself or that I need to explore other aspects and realities about me?
Do you know why most girls love Cinderella? I would say because she is beautiful, and although none of us have or will ever meet her, we are sure of that beauty. In my opinion, her story is also about the simple depiction of the beauty of soul – her sweetness, tenderness, elegance, delicateness, and patience. She obviously is not filled with jealousy, pride, strife or any of the feelings that make us sick at heart.
The beauty of the soul is such a sublime state that we need to reach in order to relieve our hearts and souls of the burden of remembering ill [bad] memories. Getting there needs conscious effort, faith and support. People around you are key elements in inspiring you. I pride myself in trying always to associate myself with those whom I feel are good at heart and have some great goal they are working to achieve; and so, do not bother themselves about who is where, or what is going on.
So here are some key aspects of a few special people I know, the things that stand out about them and help relieve the pain of the weeping soul and replace it with a caressing one:
- 1. Slma: So enthusiastic, and high spirited; she has faith and persistence in her goals! She has set for herself a life trajectory that she is building.
- 2. Hedaya: ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’! She cares for others like she cares for herself. She has such faith in God that I have never seen in any.
- 3. Lavina: Such determination! She knows what she wants, what she can accept and not accept. Simply, she has defined a set of principles that she is highly sticking to.
- 4. Catherine: So gracious! She is a chic lady, in her talk and walk. She follows her own path which is light and rhythmic.
- 5. Shaema: So helpful! She told me once that she wants to be with people. She has much belief in the community. She cares to help people and seeks experiences that can help her be a better person.
Well, I have my own set of values and goals supported by the people I know. They all help me stay on my track which has some (a few) deviations at times. Simply put, they help me accept the me in me!
Imane blogs at Express It 2 Live It
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