I'll bet you have a number of things in your life that you're avoiding facing
Every single human has something they know they need to do or come to terms with, but for one reason or another find a way to avoid it. This might be something like getting out of a toxic relationship, spending less money on pointless items, drinking less, exercising more, etc.
On the micro level, there is certainly some aspect of ourselves that we could improve upon in this moment simply by facing ourselves with no reservation. If you're bad at budgeting, you need to own up to the fact that you have a spending problem. If you've got an addictive personality, you need to recognize your addictions and find ways to correct them.
It is incredibly easy to ignore the things that cause great discomfort, for the simple fact that it doesn't feel good. Often our natural reaction is to want to avoid pain, even if the pain is minimal in comparison to the harm we are causing ourselves by not facing painful realities.
No pain, no gain
"If you bring forth what is inside you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is inside of you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." The Apostle Thomas
Facing the dark part of ourselves, whether it's deep, repressed emotional material or something as simple as lacking patience, is a key factor in becoming a more well-rounded individual. Carl Jung famously said that 'One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.'
The path to wellness must include facing the parts of yourself that are uncomfortable, painful, or difficult to look at. Ignoring these parts of ourselves doesn't make them go away, often it makes the situation much worse. Repression only works for so long before you're bursting at the seams on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Macro and micro applications
I believe it's important to apply this mindset not only to our personal lives but also our societal problems as well. I know plenty of people who would rather not look at certain information in regards to our financial and political system, but ignoring these realities will not change them.
Discussions of the federal reserve and other 'controversial' topics will often elicit an eye-roll or a metaphorical earplugging by those who'd rather not listen. But facing these uncomfortable realities will make a person much more prepared for the future, and can be immensely beneficial in financial terms. Anyone who took the time to understand fiat currency and saw the value in cryptocurrency is certainly thankful they didn't stick their head in the sand...
The road to personal empowerment usually has a few stops through our own version of hell. As long as we have the mindset of not giving into the fire, the flames can toughen our exterior and increase our resiliency.
All uncredited pictures from pixabay.com or my personal account
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