So, we've explored the bad news: part one and part two.  I'm curious if you all agree with what I'm thinking regarding all of that.  You can leave an anonymous comment that simply says "Agree" or "Disagree".  Or you can leave no comment at all.  Like I said, I'm just curious.

The core of my thinking in this regard isn't really about bad or good news.  It's not about bad or good people.  It's more about our self-perception: how we see ourselves.  I think we get it all distorted far too often.  The bad news is that we rarely see ourselves in an accurate true light.

Unfortunately, I thought of more bad news.  I know I said it was over, but there is another way that we see ourselves, and it's not good, either.  The truth is that while we often over-estimate ourselves, we often short-change ourselves, as well.  We get down on ourselves.  We downplay our successes and our abilities/talents.  We shrug off praise in false humility or in simple ignorance of just exactly what we've done.  We go through periods where we don't believe that we're having any positive impact on our own life, much less the lives around us.

I don't know about you, but I've gone through some really extreme periods like this.  I have had times in my life where I *literally* felt like I was completely useless.  Thankfully, it has been a long time since I've felt that way.  However, I remember how terrible it was to feel that way.  I remember the sheer hopelessness that accompanied my lack of purpose and value.  I really thought I was dirt.

I was really wrong.  I wasn't giving myself enough credit.

We, as humans, view ourselves two different ways:  Either we give ourselves too much credit or we give ourselves too little credit.  You wanna know the weirdest thing?  The majority of the time, we're doing both.

This is where you stare at your screen with a confused expression.  Aren't those two self-perceptions opposite of each other?  How can we view ourselves both ways?  Maybe I mean that part of the time we view ourselves one way and then part of the time we view ourselves the other way.

That's partially true.  Above, when I described feeling worthless, I can honestly say that, at that time in my life, I was only operating in a mindset where I severely underestimated my value.  Sadly, there have been times in my life where I have severely overestimated my value, as well.  Just ask anyone who knew me during my junior and senior years of high school.

However, by and large, I really believe we view ourselves *both* ways, at the *same* time.  I think we divide ourselves and then rank those different divisions:

I am an average wife.
I am an excellent mother.
I am an average daughter.
I am a terrible daughter in law.
I am a great sister.
I am a less than average sister in law.
I am a wonderful friend.
I am a terrible friend.
I am an excellent worker.
I am a useless church member...

Do you see what I mean?  There are even parts where we literally feel like we're both.  In some ways, in some friendships, I feel like I'm a really good friend.  In other ways, in other friendships, I feel like I'm a terrible friend.  The truth is probably neither.

So...we've got these inaccurate views of ourselves.  The question is: So what?  What does it matter if I hold an inaccurate view of myself?

Well...I'm going to try to address that next.  For now, however, I'm going to stop here.  I'm sorry we're still on the "bad" news.  I'm also kind of sorry I gave it that title.  I think as we continue on, we'll begin to see that it's really not "bad" news...it's just news...a new way of viewing ourselves.

Anyway, think on this and decide if you think I'm on the right track or not.  Does this connect with you?  Can you see these things in your own life, or am I the only one?