Even the Pope Pees

We tend to think of ourselves as having good qualities and bad qualities, hoping the good outweighs the bad.  We want to cultivate our good qualities and overcome, or fix what we think is bad or wrong. But we can’t put ourselves through a sifter taking out only what we want to show others, what we like about ourselves and admire.  The soul refuses to be compartmentalized or divided.

It’s best to take a more holistic approach, without passing judgment.  What we call our assets and defects have all been assembled together for a reason.  They make up the full picture of who we are, of who God designed us to be.  Our passion to create may be balanced by a tendency to lose focus or ambition.  Our ability to hyper-focus on a project may be balanced by a complete disinterest in what others say is important.  Our profound thoughts may be balanced with profanity. 

When these “dark sides” of our soul arise from within us, we want to squelch them or pretend they’re not there.  We only want to show people the good side. We don’t want them to see us depressed, angry or ugly.  No one wants to be seen cursing out the neighbor.

But the “dark side” won’t be ignored.  It demands incorporation into our lives so it forces its way in whether we like it or not. We can’t live divided lives for very long.  The soul is designed to be authentic.  And authenticity requires integrating ALL of what we are, both the good and what we call, bad.  The truth is:  Nothing is really “bad.”  That’s just a judgment call.  There are no “bad” feelings, only ones we don’t want to acknowledge or express.   

Once you accept yourself completely and realize you’re not always going to be kind and loving, or spiritual all of the time, it makes it a lot easier to accept others for who they are and to forgive them when they do the same dumb things you’ve done.  It also makes it virtually impossible to judge them harshly for their own struggles to integrate mind, soul and body.

We are a collection of contradictions, a hodge-podge of virtue, innocence, cruelty and vulgarity; a perfect spiritual being in a defective human world.  One part of us is profound and the other profane!  And somewhere in between, perfect balance occurs.

So here’s my advice:  Stop trying to hide the parts you don’t like and feeling ashamed of them.  They make up the full picture of who you are.  And stop pretending to be good and pious all of the time.  Trust me, nobody’s that virtuous—–Even the Pope, pees you know!  And trust that at the very center of your being, it’s all good! And if you can see that good in yourself and come to a place of self-forgiveness and acceptance, it will make it a lot easier to see it in others and to forgive them too.