Self-Esteem

The pin was a gift. When I first saw it I was puzzled. AS IS? How strange! Who would wear a pin declaring AS IS?

My first thought in decoding this message was to think of damaged goods. Just picture commercials that advertise appliances at bargain prices because they have dents and scratches. Remember those washing machines and refrigerators that work just fine, but can’t be sold at full price because they are not perfect?

Hmm…Damaged goods? What kind of message was this? It didn’t make sense. Luckily I didn’t have too long to puzzle this through. In the box was a note explaining the meaning and intent of AS IS.

The AS IS message of the pin was a declaration and affirmation that the wearer was JUST RIGHT being exactly who they are. The importance of self-acceptance was there for all to see.

Think about what a powerful and affirming message this is! We are all shaped by life experiences that bruise and dent us. Divorce, job loss, widowhood and aging are all major life events that send us reeling off course.

The damage to our sense of self can be devastating and overwhelming. we are NOT damage goods, but we ARE changed and struggling in the midst of major life transition.

With time, love and support we can find our way again. When we do, our bruises and dents become a part of personal growth through our life experience. What did we learn about ourselves, our depth of resilience and courage?

I wear my AS IS pin proudly as a declaration of finding wholeness and acceptance of all of who I am and how I came to be shaped in my present state. I invite others to get to know me in my AS IS being.

All of our history, experiences, and traits, the ones we like and the ones we don’t make up who we are and how we reach inside ourselves to help us navigate through our lives.

We CAN nurture and build upon our gifts. We CAN work through our blocks, recognizing how they hold us back. We CAN learn, grow and expand through our hard times.

I’ve been wearing my AS IS pin for a number of years now. They have been years of significant life changes and transition. Each time I put it on, I CAN feel how I have come to a different place in understanding myself and my story.

When I wear my AS IS pin, I am the whole of all my experiences and how they have shaped me. I am grateful for that growth and know that I will be calling upon it again and again in my life journey.

I am content and grateful to have grown into this nonjudgemental self-acceptance. My AS IS pin is a reminder. How about you? Can you see and feel AS IS as JUST RIGHT?