“Once you’ve

accepted your

flaws no one

can use them

against you.”

Tyrion Lannister (in Game of Thrones television series)

Part Two of Five:

Exiting Our Current View

Damaging events occur…have occurred, and will occur…caused by intentional or unintentional words and actions, or by events of nature beyond our control. There is suffering in our world on so many levels…we see and feel our own pain, that of others…we even watch as our earth suffers. We see Flaws everywhere, labelling them as “bad”, “not right” and “horrendous” and we rail against it all, saying…

It feels “wrong”.

This or that “shouldn’t be”.

Those people are “bad”.

“I am right…so that over there is ‘unacceptable.’ “

Or

“THAT is completely wrong!!”

These types of responses however do nothing to change what happened or what is happening…

UNLESS…

we choose to use such suffering to create a different reality going forward….

UNLESS we use the “negative” energy to propel us into action. These initial responses can become triggers for Pausing and possibly changing how we view things…

So we must agree to look within the Flaw for its balancing components.

For those who have not followed the television series Game of Thrones, a little background. The quote above came from Tyrion Lannister, younger sibling of fraternal twins Cersei, Queen Regent of The Seven Kingdoms, and Jamie, Commander of the army of Westeros. Tyrion was the only one of the three siblings to be born as a dwarf.

His entire life, Tyrion was reviled, misunderstood and rejected because of his physical appearance, and even blamed because his mother died at his birth. Most, noting his physique, immediately judge him as flawed…”less than”…repulsive …insufficient…disposable and then discarded as someone of little to no power…and therefore unworthy of respect. Nevertheless, he lived his life persisting in spite of others’ opinions (and their subsequent actions), stubbornly refusing to accept these beliefs as his own. He becomes a man of great wisdom, insight and compassion and these became his sharpest weapons, in spite of a physique that would (at least on the surface) seem to have “failed” him.

He discovers that, to survive, he must “accept” his “flaws”…

and this requires that he accept the entire being that he is. He allows it all to be there, not just the hand-picked “good” parts.

This is slowly revealed to the viewers as the source of his true and authentic power. By accepting the “whole” of Tyrion, he discovers that he actually has within himself balancing “resources” enabling him to survive the negativity attached to the “flaw” of being a dwarf. He hones these strengths even as his “flawed” self persists in pressing at him from without and within. Ironically, while others are busy focusing on and being distracted by what is “wrong” with Tyrion, he continues to persevere diligently in developing other strengths. He is not focusing on his physical stature; he is searching and strengthening other attributes that he continuously discovers within himself. He is an avid reader, learning from other wise minds. He uses the opportunities provided by being ignored to become an astute observer of human behavior, collecting a vocabulary of verbal and physical cues that would go unheeded by most others. And with such lessons gleaned, he later finds himself in positions of power because of, and then aided by, his quick mind and keen understanding of human nature.

I believe Tyrian is right on the mark with the words above and this made me reflect further:

Can I really declare a flaw (whether my own or one I see elsewhere) as such if I first Pause and then choose to use this expanded view to become more Authentic, more Compassionate, more Open, more Truthful, more Wise…

More ANYTHING that is greater, higher than my current state?

To progress along this path, we first must agree to accept our own “flaws” (as we see them) and also take the time to question the beliefs surrounding these flaws. And if we are to be truthful, we must acknowledge ALL aspects that we see as “lacking”. We can then see whether to keep, alter or entirely discard them as a basis for our future thoughts and subsequent actions. In this way, we agree to accept ourself ENTIRELY, with every inherent “strength” and “weakness”. This combination becomes our “Team”, working for us, not against us.

And here again, I find myself asking, “ARE these really ‘strengths’ and ‘weaknesses’?! Do these not each also contain their balancing opposites if we dare to look closely enough?!”

This is where the power lies.

But I must first Pause if I am ever to find them.

(End Part 2/5)