#2 Where it all Begins

The story of Tarzan begins where all of our growth must begin: acceptance. We must begin from a place of worth. We should know that we belong somewhere and that we are good for something before we try to get anywhere. That worth should be set in stone, locked away in a safe where no one can change our minds about who we are. And that worth shouldn’t be tied to our skill sets because that’s one of the things that we are out to get, but don’t have yet. Ultimately, we should be worth something first, and good at something second.

So we must start with the mastery of our self-worth. The dawn of Tarzan’s journey into maturity is the moment that he believes that he belongs with his adopted family of the apes. The seed of belief is planted in him when his ape-mom reminds him that their hearts all beat the same. This stirs Tarzan to grow to new heights as he proves to the rest of his tribe that he belongs with them. It takes some trials, some errors, and a lot of dumbsy-clumsy oopsies, but Tarzan sticks to his belief that he belongs. And eventually evolves into a brilliant ape-man. 

This idea is the backbone of growth. You take a positive belief and extend it outwards. I think accepting yourself as you are is crucial to your growth because one thing’s for sure: if you set out to grow, you will have a lot of clumsy moments. You’ll make a lot of mistakes. You’ll feel like a helpless child wandering through the jungles of life. And if you beat yourself up for every single mistake, life will be all the more difficult to overcome. Life is hard enough, why add to your burdens?

And here’s the thing: we need acceptance in order to grow. If you believe you’re worthless until you are good at something, or until you are accepted by your Kerchek, the belief that you aren’t good enough will grow deep roots of insecurity in your mind. Even when your Kerchek accepts you, it won’t be enough. You will always need to be better at stuff, the belief that people, including your Kerchek, truly accept you will be difficult to believe. All because you have spent too much time living with the idea that you aren’t good enough. It will always feel like one more thing needs to happen, one more step needs to be taken, before you can truly be worth anything. When you feed the belief that you aren’t worth it, that idea will keep on growing and growing. Then, when you get that thing that was supposed to change your life, that unworthiness will just take on a new name and face. If you don’t start with good beliefs, then it will bite you in the butt later down the road.

So before you go setting up a gameplan to grow to new heights and explore new territories, set yourself up for lasting success! What is it you are trying to prove? What beliefs might come into question as you head on your journey? Are you trying to prove that you are a hard worker? Do you believe that you need to become a better person? Whatever area you are trying to grow in, reflect on these beliefs and what they ought to be. 

And to prove that this all works, let me share how I am using this in my own life. Lately, I have started my journey to becoming a plumber. In case you weren’t aware, construction is tough work. Not only can it be physically demanding, but the people you work with can be more than a little rough around the edges. Even in my first few weeks, I have had thoughts of leaving. I have second-guessed myself, asking if I should have stayed in my cozy little tech lab. 

But I have started telling that voice to shut up and leave, because I belong here! I am plumber-material. Not because I have the skill set, but because I know I’ve got this! I’m going to make it in this field because I am going to stick it out and make it happen. I believe that I will get there, and I accept myself as a clumsy-dumbsy in the meantime. After all, I’m still new to all of this. Of course I’m going to be clumsy! 

So that’s where the motivation for this speech comes from. It isn’t easy to get where you want to be. Any goal worth achieving will test your resolve. But on the other side of resilience is not only the life you are searching for, but the ability to walk tall with pride. You may not feel like you’re there yet, but believe me: there’s a champion inside of you. You just have to bring them out!I pray you are filled with inspiration, and that you unleash the fires of confidence! You are a force of nature that can’t be stopped. I believe in you!

Until next time

May Peace be your guide.