The time has come for me to shine brighter than I’ve ever shone before. My experiences and my willingness to look at myself critically and deeply have earned me the right. And with this right comes the responsibility of helping others to do the same – helping others realize that everything that has brought them to this point is significant and counts, showing them how to have the courage to examine themselves, their motives, and their actions in order to come to a place of self-acceptance and self-love.
At this place of self-acceptance comes the unwillingness to be fake and unreal and the need to be authentic through and through. Taking this leap from inner self-acceptance to outer authenticity was huge and freeing for me. It took me from a place of tentativeness to a place of confidence and conviction. Empowering is the word.
Once you’ve come to accept yourself and become comfortable with your good points and your flaws, there is less of a need to have the acceptance of others. You realize you can speak your mind confidently and hear disapproval without taking it personally. It was the idea not who you are that they attacked. Yes, sometimes this does get muddied and self-confidence can waiver for a moment or two.
Despite this momentary lapse you will find yourself feeling strong again more and more quickly and realize that taking these risks of self-expression aren’t as hard and painful as they initially had been. Suddenly you’re comfortable in your skin maskless and life seems to be working for you instead of against you.
This is what I’m experiencing now. A freedom to be who I am. To expand my horizons because I’m no longer playing small and so need a bigger playground to share my gifts and to grow even more. The time has come for me to shine brighter than I’ve ever shone before.
Photo Credit: Ruth