Brené Brown defines wholeness as “wholehearted living” and states that “it is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, no matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. Lawrence Freeman says, “wholeness is our capacity to experience health as transcending all limitations while accepting them and overcoming this virus of perfectionism which keeps us locked into an imaginary world rather than the real world.”
Every one of us can live a whole life and feel complete, but it does require some intentional choices and the right mindset. If you are going to be successful in living a life of wholeness, there are 3 things you must always remember.
- You are right where you should be. You are right where you are supposed to be at this exact moment of time. Trust that you were born for such a time as this. God knows every choice you have ever made and ever will make, and it is all accounted for. Life is not a steady improvement in the right direction. A whole person has pain, struggles, and even broken relationships. Wholeness is not dependent upon circumstances. Living a life of wholeness means you can find comfort in the discomforts of life. You must master the ability to be content with where you are, but always knowing there is more and working towards improvement.
- Your identity is not found in anything you do, rather it is what you believe. You are already whole; your job is to believe it. We can sometimes start to believe that our accomplishments and our successes define us. This is a huge mistake because it is simply not true. On the other hand, we can believe that our mistakes define us, and that is simply not true either. What defines us is not what we have done, what we are doing, or what we will do, but rather what we believe about ourselves. Remember, the truth is, you are already whole. You just need to walk in that truth and believe it.
- Enjoy the journey. The whole person moves toward improving our limitations and shortcomings and utilizing areas of personal excellence. This is not a striving for perfection. A whole person rests in who and where they are in life, while seeking personal growth for the benefit of self and others. There is a resting and enjoyment in each moment because perfection is not the goal and one never arrives at a place of perfection. Each moment is good even though we may experience pain and brokenness in the moment.
Often the more we strive for wholeness, the more broken we feel. This is because wholeness is a gift from God, and therefore must be received. It is not something that you can just accomplish on your own will, you simply have to accept the truth.
Written by Kim Martin
Founder of I’ve Decided, INC