How could I have forgotten?! One of the hugest, most important things I managed to take away from counselling, was J’s throw-away statement, “That’s just who you are.”

It came up more than once, but the preceding conversation at one point was about – well, sort of about me being a scanner. I find it hard to focus on one thing, I want to do twenty billion – that’s just who I am. Or, that I like numbers and coding and working away, but hate being sent to be the representative at meetings – that’s just who I am.

I’m guessing this is pretty basic stuff, really, but I can’t describe the sense of epiphany that’s followed me for weeks following that offhand comment: “That’s just who you are”. Said in such a way that it was instantly obvious that that’s absolutely fine, there’s nothing wrong at all with being who I am! I want what I want, and I feel what I feel, and really – it’s all okay!

It’s so freeing, really – life changingly so! Rather than struggling to be who I (or perhaps ‘society’, as viewed through my perception) think I ‘should’ be, I have full permission to accept that who I am already is just fine – and I can work with myself, not against. I mean, wow, right?!

I’m currently reading Byron Katie’s book, “Loving What Is”, which seems to me to be the same idea, pushed outwards to other people and situations. She’s right, I’m convinced: sometimes accepting what is is all that’s required for a sense of peace.