What if you really believed you were enough?

What if you really believed you were enough? What if you really believed there is nothing more you need to do or be, other than to be yourself?

What if showing up and trying to do your best under present circumstances is exactly what makes you happy or causes you to grow — but you just don’t realize it? 

What if we truly believed that God loves us exactly as we are, right now, in this moment, despite our familiar lists of flaws and foibles? Despite the certainty of the inner critic-perfectionist reminding us that we have fallen short in some ways, again? What if…

What if we were to get very quiet and sit with God in the silence? Right now.

No prayers. No petitions. No promises. No guilt. No anxiety. No fear. Not even striving. Nothing but the felt sense of God’s unconditional love for you… God cherishing you… And you… taking… it… all… in. The way that dry soil takes in the falling rain. The way a single loving touch can soothe a crying baby.

Try this simple breath practice as you await God’s coming at Christmas. Begin by recalling the warm and comfortable feeling of being loved unconditionally. Place a hand on your heart and breathe rhythmically:

Breathing in God’s love
Breathing out guilt

Breathing in grace
Breathing out perfectionism

Breathing in acceptance
Breathing out self-criticism

Breathe in spaciousness
Breathing out anxiety

Breathing in freedom
Breathing out attachments

Breathing in kindness and compassion
Breathing out struggle and desires and efforts

Notice the Holy Spirit breathing in you — breathing you! Breathing life into your perfectly-imperfect self, God’s Beloved, you — the one who practices being fully present to reality, the one who tries to be fully present to others. The one who is more than enough. The one whom God meets and accompanies and cherishes. You are the Beloved.

Dr. Kathy Bozzuti-Jones is Trinity’s Associate Director, Spiritual Practices, Retreats, and Pilgrimage. Share your thoughts or questions with Kathy.