Have you ever been offended? I have🙋🏽‍♀️

I used to get offended all the time when I was younger.

Now that I am a little older, I still get offended, but not nearly as much.

One thing that helped me deal with offense was getting in touch with (and identifying) my true self. I first learned about the true self in an interview Oprah did with Father Richard Rohr.

Sooooo, what exactly is the true self?

True self

/who we are in God (that grounded foundational being); our inherent dignity that no one can give or take away/

The self we had before we put on all the labels, costumes, and identities (i.e., gender, race, occupation, education, etc.)

The face we had before we were born (and got all the labels)

Anchored self, eternal self, God self, Christ self

When I am overwhelmed with feelings of offense, I find it helpful to take a walk outside (or do some yin yoga).

Over the years, I’ve noticed that when I identify too closely with the labels I (or others) put on me, I tend to lose sight of my true self, my intrinsic self, who I am in God. Going outside helps me connect with the being the grounds me, God.

Spending time outside also helps me identify the part of me that was offended. Usually it’s my false self.

Connecting with my true self after having such intense feelings of offense, allows me to not just shake off the offense, but to turn inward and check if there are any truths I need to unpack.

If there are truths to unpack, I try to come up with ways I can improve that part of myself.

If there aren’t, I focus on connecting more deeply with my true self, which helps me see myself the way God does.

We are not defined by the labels we put on ourselves, the labels others put on us, what we do, what we have or don’t have, our gender, occupation, race, nationality, education, etc.

We are inherently valuable because God created us and loves us no matter what, and in my humble opinion God does not make mistakes.

We are all beloved children of God, and no one can ever take this away from us!

Note: I can’t take credit for many of the enlightening words and phrases in the post, as it is heavily inspired by sermons and interviews of Father Richard Rohr.

What I learned

(1) Whenever I feel offended, I take Father Rohr’s advice and ask, ‘Is it my true self or my false self that is offended?’

• Most times it’s my false self, since I usually take offense when I feel I have something to prove or a label to defend.
• Once I identify that it’s the false self that’s offended, I tap into my true self and remind myself that I am valued, loved, and cherished regardless of what I do, say, or how others view me.

(2) I should not identify so closely with the labels I put on myself (or that others put on me).

(3) I am God’s favorite and YOU are too 😉 Whenever I am feeling offended or down on myself, I remind myself of this truth 🙂 You should too!

Reflection/ Challenge

(1) Are there any areas of your life where you tend to take offense?

(2) I encourage you to tap into your true self today. Remember you are not defined by your labels.

• YOU TOO are valued, loved, and cherished regardless of what you do, say, or how others view you, because God created YOU in His image. And YOU ARE HIS FAVORITE ❤

(3) Are there any truths you need to unpack? Do you need to lean more into your true self and/or God’s unconditional love?

Lagniappe /a little something extra/

The interview Oprah did with Father Rohr was absolutely life changing for me, hence the title of this post 😉 While much of the post is a regurgitation of the interview, I still encourage you to take a listen for yourself.

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Thank you so much for reading this post! And as always, if you have any tips, suggestions, questions and/or comments, please leave them in the comment box below.

Sending lots of love & light your way ❤

Until next post😉

Xx,
Raina B ❤