Authority to Perceive

[Self-Pity - III]

Self-pity masquerades as a lack of appreciation from others. Lack of acknowledgement. Lack of recognition. Lack of what we deserve.

But self-pity is actually my own lack of self-appreciation. Lack of personal recognition. Lack of appreciating my work.

Buckling down and forcing myself to say something positive about my work doesn’t help. Because it doesn’t address the problem. The problem is not an unwillingness to self-affirm. That’s the surface. Beneath it is the question, Who gets the authority to perceive?

I do.

Self-pity gives the authority to others.

Subject to the jury of the world, I will always be found guilty of not enough creativity, not enough brilliance, not enough compassion, or not enough productivity.

That’s not my view.
That’s not my perspective.

Managing self-pity well begins with the declaration: This is what I see.