Dear Seeker,

"Instead of always asking yourself how to protect yourself in challenging situations, learn to ask, What is it in me that always needs to be defended?"

~ Guy Finley

Excerpted from "The Secret of Letting Go" (pg 74)

Special exercise: No excuses

This is one of the toughest exercises to do. The exercise is to not make any excuses for yourself, either internally or externally. This is not an encouragement to be defiant or ignore your mistakes. The aim is to work at seeing yourself as you are -- not as what you could be or intended to be, but as you actually are at that moment. And then watch the self that steps in to try to save you. If you drop the ball with something important -- acknowledge it without defending yourself. If you make a mistake at work -- resolve to learn from it and then move on. If you're late for an event -- apologize without explanations or promises that it won't happen again. Even if you have the best, most genuine excuse in the world, let it go unsaid so you can meet the part of you that can't stand not being seen as smart, thoughtful, perfect, and in control. That self is why you have no peace. Refusing to defend it is the first step in letting it go.