There is a pervasive belief that many of us in recovery grew up with, that something was “wrong” with us, or we were “bad.” This left us feeling that we weren’t “enough” and were unworthy of love, both of course were false beliefs. So, we set out to fix ourselves. It’s so sad to think about how this erroneously shaped so many of our lives and set us up for dysfunctional ways in which we tried to cope with it all. The good news is that we can break those patterns and peel off false beliefs.

The truth is, we are “perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure.” We don’t have to fix ourselves to be worthy of love! Freedom from false beliefs in our lives, and learning how to accept, have compassion for, and empower ourselves is so critical to our mental health, and overall well-being. If we are human, we won’t do everything “perfectly.” Yet, it doesn’t mean those imperfections can’t be used to create more love for ourselves and empathy for others—peer supports know this fact well. That’s only part of the transformative mystery in being “perfectly imperfect” and how we’re more powerful than we realize!

I hope you will choose to believe that you really are enough, and worthy of love here and now. I’ll leave you with a few lyrics from a song called, “I am already enough” by Fearless Soul:

Each morning when I wake up.
I’m grateful for the beauty around me.
Life is a gift, I wanna enjoy it.
Always proving my worth only destroys it.
I am already enough…

Cheri Thomas

Cheri works as a Peer Support Specialist for RI in Arizona. She has experienced loss and grief which has led her to write for the masses to bring voice to those in similar situations. Cheri possesses a deep passion to share with, encourage, and inspire others on what she calls the Journey of the Heart.