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A LAUNDRY LIST FOR THE CARE AND CLEANING OF A SELF OF ONE'S OWN. BY SHELDON KOPP
1. Most of us are not all that we claim to be.
2. None of us is what we were taught we were supposed to be.
3. All images of self are misleading, incomplete.
4. Every personality is split.
5. Whatever I believe about myself, the opposite is also true.
6. Any human qualities that I don't claim as my own I am certain to experience
as disturbing aspects of the Other.
7. The stranger and the enemy are mirrored reflections of unrecognized aspects
of myself.
8. Everything up until now that I have labeled as "not me" I must
recognize as just as much "me" as the more acceptable parts of myself.
9. Shame can be a form of false pride. Limiting this burden requires that I
have to accept an equal measure of my shamelessness.
10. Whenever I try to banish my demons, I risk losing my angels.
11. Without going to far, how could I know that I have gone far enough?
12. My messing up does not seem as awful when I realize how little it matters to
other people. I'm just not as important to anyone else as I am to myself.
13. I can trade my exotic symptoms for common imperfections.
14. Instead of spending so much time of my life trying to fight off depression,
overcome anxiety, and deny inadequacy, I can willingly experience just how sad
and helpless and scared I sometimes feel.
15. Why must I suffer not being perfect when I can be good enough?
16. Sometimes I take off a mask worn too long only to discover that I dare not
throw it away because part of my face is still in it.
17. If now one knows me, who can love me?
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