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concern that if I "re-establish" a solid sense of personal identity I'll somehow have diminished some hard-won spiritual lessons.

I really grapple with this one. Badly.

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Me too.... good topic to raise NW. Seems part of the MO for a lot of mental struggles. Spiritual wrestlings.

Rooting in self-worthiness I think. Sometimes its easier to feel validated as a spiritual being than it is to feel acceptable as a human being. Empowered on one level, dispirited on another. Maintaining a balance becomes a greater challenge.

I've always had this voice inside my head saying "they know nothing". I would discount a complement on the grounds of 'insufficiently informed' and go on thinking lowly of myself and worse... badly of the other person too.

I've learned to accept a complement 'by faith' as a means of truly receiving the gift that it is. That is to accept it without having to agree with it right away. It's like a 3 step program. lol. First, give thanks to God and the person, second, accept the gift gracefully and be thankful some more, and finally consider myself worthy and give God the glory.

For the most part I don't make it past the second step but that's progress. I used to get angry with compliments. Actually rage or beat on myself from battling with a complement. I'd feel worse about myself or my situation. I'd feel more isolated. I'd feel more lonely and invisible, fake. I'd reject a complement as a matter of survival. To avoid a meltdown denying a complement could trigger.

If one can simply accept a compliment even if they can't agree to it but just 'in faith' accept it to be that person's truth or just how they see it... then at least one can avoid the downward spiriling effects of rejecting a complement. That's my latest theory. Stops me from spiriling down from a compliment and sometimes sets me up to receive it whole heartedly. It's one step closer to the goal of receiving all the blessings of a compliment.

After all they are God's way of expressing His divine love for each of us. How the Great Spirit speaks through physical forms. He uses each of us to speak praises and to show us the Love. We know that spiritually yet struggle to process it mentally. Thus more intense spiritual journeys.

Even an insincere, manipulative complement is grounded in some truth or it would fall as a lie immediately and humour or evil would be exposed. Even passive aggressive complements can highlight a true attribute.

NW has shared some wonderful complements to me today and left me feeling kind of giddy. Talking about the process of receiving has allowed me to process the benefit from the gifts of kindness in an extra special way. Thanks again NW.

So there ya go.... another full circle moment brought to us by acts of self worthiness. Cool.

Feeling worthy today...... not 'ego inflated' but rather 'holistically balanced'. Very nice.