The 7th of the 10 Emotional Needs of the Soul Is About Feeling Acknowledged

Perhaps, you have been a bit like me, thinking that the need to be acknowledged was actually a sign of having too much ego.

I was quite surprised when I received this as an emotional need from the Grandmothers, but I quickly understood that…

Feeling acknowledged gives you a sense of legitimacy in your community.

It makes sense, doesn’t it, that most of us want to know our contributions are actually making a difference?

After all, your contributions are an expression of who you are. Knowing that your talents benefit the lives of others is immensely satisfying.

In a healthy environment, you would expect to be acknowledged one or more times between the ages of 20-40.

I know that is a very big span of years, but in our tribal days these would have been the years when we really stepped out into our communities to develop our skills and be of service.

Perhaps in today’s world, with longer life-spans, we might stretch that time frame up to our 70’s or even beyond.

When you don’t receive adequate or appropriate acknowledgement, you might find yourself experiencing some of these side effects:

• Feeling like you are not seen, heard or understood
• Being lost and without motivation or meaning
• Lying or exaggerating in order to be recognized
• Do what you think you should do, rather than follow your heart, in hopes of being acknowledged.
• Hiding or diminishing your value so you won’t get too much attention
• Shoplifting and stealing in order to fill the emptiness of not being valued
• Heavy reliance on others who are acknowledged in some way
• Afraid of being acknowledged because it implies you’ll get more work or responsibility
• Willing to act out violently if that’s what it takes to be acknowledged

Ideally, you would have a mentor in your life who really sees and appreciates you, and guides you in using your talents wisely.

Mentors and teachers should be people that see more in you than you are yet able to see in yourself, so you can be supported in fully exercising your talents and fulfilling your potential.

In the best environment, your emotional need would be me because you would be thanked for your good work and you would be complimented for your efforts.

While appropriately challenged to grow, you would experience far more positive reinforcement and a lot less criticism.

When you attempted something new that didn’t reach its potential, you would still be honored for making the effort and taking the risk to stretch beyond your current limits.

If you are not living in that kind of environment now, would you like to experience the emotional healing that would allow you to get ready for it?

Consider the ways in which you could begin to create that kind of work or home life, in which you were acknowledged for all you contribute to the well-being of others.

You might want to make a list of ideas, and to get you started, here are a few that I have used successfully:

Actively look for the achievements and efforts others are making.

Honor and acknowledge others for both their efforts and their achievements, and do it as often as you possibly can—even honoring the smallest efforts.

Do the same for yourself. Actively look for your achievements and efforts. Write them down in your journal.

Honor your efforts and achievements by celebrating them. Do this WITH someone. Invite a friend to have a celebratory cup of tea or coffee to talk about your triumph or discovery. NOTE: I’m not talking about bragging. This is about recognizing that you have been able to use your Divinely given gifts and talents in a way that made a difference. When you honor how good it feels to serve in this way, you honor the Divine expressing through you.

When a group has been involved in an effort or a project, organize a celebratory get-together. It’s a great time to compliment the members of the team.

And of course…use the Holding meditation and Hold yourself in the feeling of being acknowledged.

If you are going through one of my courses, here are some ways you can adapt them to experience greater emotional healing around acknowledgment:

• If you are using the Inner Child program, this is the perfect time to visit your inner child and let him or her create a scenario for you in which you are acknowledged. Let yourself feel that!
• With the Mystic Dreaming program, take yourself on a journey into a place where one of your power animals can acknowledge one of your qualities or attributes.
• If you are using the Breakthrough Healing System, take one of the exercises and dramatize, dance, sing or artistically paint or sculpt the Divine’s acknowledgement of you.
• With the Psychic Powers or Sound Healing program, consciously use one of your spiritual gifts (like sounding) and then in the silence afterwards, sink into the rewards and feelings of your gift.

Let your own imagination go crazy with ideas for fulfilling your emotional need for acknowledgement in a way that you can really FEEL honored.

This is about letting yourself feel the Divine’s loving acknowledgement of your contributions to Divine experience flowing through you. It’s there.

The journey in acknowledgement is about giving yourself ways to let it in!