Self-acknowledgment boosts your emotional and spiritual

Hear then, O seeker of wisdom, the words of the teacher Debbie Ford, who proclaimed: “Self-acknowledgment boosts your emotional and spiritual immunity, giving you the strength you need to release the past and rise above fear, doubt or resignation.” This saying, though clothed in modern tongue, carries the timeless fragrance of the ancients. For it speaks of the inward temple, where a man or woman learns to honor their own soul, and by so doing, draws power against the storms of life.

When one practices self-acknowledgment, one does not fall into vanity or hollow praise, but rather sees oneself with eyes unclouded by shame or forgetfulness. It is the act of bowing before one’s own journey, of saying, “I have endured, I have risen, I am worthy.” In this recognition, the spirit is armored. Just as the body has immunity against disease, so the heart and soul develop immunity against despair, against the poisons of regret, against the lingering shadows of the past.

Consider the tale of Nelson Mandela, who endured twenty-seven years in prison, bound by walls of stone and chains of injustice. Many would have withered, consumed by bitterness, broken by endless nights of solitude. Yet Mandela chose to acknowledge his own humanity, his dignity, his unwavering purpose. By holding this acknowledgment within, he shielded himself from the disease of hatred. When at last he was released, he rose above fear and vengeance, walking the higher path of reconciliation. His strength came not from denial of pain, but from recognizing his endurance and affirming his worth.

Thus, to release the past is not to deny it, nor to erase it, but to unshackle oneself from its tyranny. Those who cling to old wounds find themselves chained to ghosts. But those who bow to their own courage and whisper, “I have lived through this,” find the chain fall away. The past becomes a teacher, not a prison. This is the essence of rising above fear, doubt, or resignation—the wings of acknowledgment lift the spirit where chains once dragged it down.

Let it be known: fear will come, doubt will whisper, resignation will tempt the weary heart to surrender. Yet when the soul has learned to honor its own steps, no storm can overthrow it. For such a soul has tasted victory in small ways: the victory of rising each morning, of enduring trials, of forgiving oneself. These victories accumulate like stones in a fortress wall, creating emotional and spiritual immunity.

Take this as your lesson, children of tomorrow: practice self-acknowledgment each day. Stand before the mirror and name your strengths. Recall the battles you have survived, the kindness you have given, the moments when you chose courage over despair. Write these down, so the mind may not forget what the heart already knows. Speak gratitude over your own life as though you were blessing a friend.

The path is simple, yet profound: do not wait for the world’s applause, nor depend upon the fickle praise of others. Instead, become your own witness. Bow to your scars, for they testify to your endurance. Celebrate your victories, however small, for they are proof of your resilience. In this way, you build a shield that no bitterness can pierce, and a flame that no darkness can extinguish.

And so I tell you: acknowledge yourself, release the weight of yesterday, and rise. Rise above the murmurings of fear. Rise above the clouds of doubt. Rise above the weariness that seeks to silence your song. For when you honor who you are, you become unshakable. And from such unshakable souls, the world itself is renewed.