"In solitude and meditation the dark and wounded side of us that is still in need of healing often asks for attention and has to be acknowledged just as much as our idealized selves. We all have the deceptive tendency to live selectively, choosing to see only those experiences we can identify with and pushing the rest aside. By bringing the whole self to our attention, we not only claim our dark side but also change our ego ideal, the persons or idealized self that is only part of who we are. In a way, in the stillness we cultivate, we become free to stand as we are before God and transcend our limited view of ourselves.
The ego ideal is often made up of self-created expectations and aspirations regarding intelligence, career, physical beauty, moral stature, and so on. The mystery of life, however, is not only that we have a dark side that we want to deny but also that we are better than our ego ideal! Our true identity is found in God, who created us in the divine image."
Today, embrace the wounded and pained parts of yourself with kindness and let go of striving for human perfection.