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I Am Who I Am

It's hard not to want to change who I am sometimes.  There are parts of me that I don't like.  And I've realized that in the past there have been more parts of me I don't like than do.  But here's the thing - they're all parts of me nonetheless.

There are some things I can't change about myself - it's who I am, and no amount of finagling or wishing it were different will make it so.  For example, I am a self-proclaimed nerd (seriously, who talks like that?  Nerds, like me!).  I like things organized.  I am quiet and introspective.  I need my space.  I'm strong and opinionated.  I am not impulsive.  I like predictability and order.  I like to follow rules.  I can be fiercely independent.  And so on and so forth...  They're not all that bad when they're listed out like that.   In fact, they kinda make me proud in a weird way.  I am discovering that some of those parts that I thought made up the worst in me, are foundations of the best in me.

What if we removed all the labels off all the parts of ourselves and didn't assign them as good or bad... instead what if we just realized we're made up of lots of different parts, each essential to the whole.  Because we couldn't isolate and eradicate one trait without affecting the whole.  I need all those little parts of me, no matter what shape they take, or I wouldn't be me.

I think the key to accepting myself is not about who I am, or the parts that make up the whole - I am who I am.  It's about loving the parts that make up the whole, each and every one, that makes the difference.
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