Confessions: On My Own

My God, before I was formed I was unworthy, and now that I have been formed, it is as if I had not been formed… (Artscroll Yom Kippur Machzor Ashkenaz, Page 99.)

Feeling that I am a “nothing”, is not a Jewish concept.  To feel that it is as if I had not been formed will deprive me of any sense of accomplishment or self.  I was created to master myself, to be something.  Therefore, the emphasis here is to realize that I am nothing without You, Hashem.  The only reason that I am something is because You created me, You guide me, You sustain me.  The confessions that I have just recited show that if I am left to my own devices I will hurt myself, and more importantly, Your world. 

Yes, I was created to master myself.  But I was not created to do it on my own.  Part of my self mastery is to understand how much I need your help.