Approval

Daily Reflection
Today, I want you to examine the people in your life that you seek approval from. Perhaps you seek approval from your parents, your partner, your children, your friends, your work colleagues. Let's start our journaling practice today by making a list of all of the people in our lives that we want approval from. After you have made yourself this list ask yourself why you want his or her approval? Why is it important to you?

The funny thing about seeking approval is that it can influence our life choices. What I mean here is that we actually make choices in our own lives dependent on whether or not someone will approve. I am not here to tell you that this is good or bad or neutral. I am just here to make you aware of this particular tendency that humans have. I want you to see how this may affect your life and your choices.

Take a look at your list and write about each of the people and how he/she has affected your choices. Do you feel you made good choices? Bad choices? Neutral Choices? Do you feel you might have made a different choice if you were not seeking approval? Just be aware and be objective. It may be difficult but try to detach yourself from the idea of approval. Just try it for one day and see what happens. Write about the experience in your journal.

Swami K