Break the Stereotype

“You are the perfect version of all of life. No need for change, or approval. You are a beautiful mess, an original, and not a tidied carbon copy of someone’s ideal. Let yourself soak in and know that this tale is yours to tell. Be you, all of you.”

-Ulli Stanway

Why are you afraid of expressing your authentic self? Think about that. Is it the fear of losing friends? Is it the fear of being insufficient? What is it?

Now step back and re-examine your reasons. Recognize that through it all, you have been there for yourself. Friendships have squandered. Careers have changed. Life goes on. But you continue to be all that you’ve got. If you are all that remains, doesn’t it make sense to honor and respect yourself enough to be true to you? Let nothing and no one else take precedence or priority over you.

I am an advocate for honest self-expression. Too often we litter our lives with distractions to keep from engaging ourselves. We fill our days with chores and busyness because the idea of being alone – even for a few hours – is horrifying.

Audre Lorde once said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” We are constantly pressured my society, media, and entertainment to trade in our true selves for a recycled version of everyone else. We try diligently to be everything but who we are. We become ashamed of our authentic expression. It is exhausting, tolling, and mentally draining.

It is time to step into our truth. It is time to give ourselves a voice and live out our calling. Why do we insist on keeping ourselves small? If we really inspect our fears, we realize that there is no viable reason to keep ourselves hidden. Fear is an illusion. It takes great courage and strength to step into our honest selves. It is then, and only then, that we begin to flourish and create the life that is aligned with our passion and true self. We cannot pretend our way into happiness. We must begin within.

Accept yourself. Love yourself. Celebrate yourself. Honor yourself. You are the one you have been searching for. No one can be what you need, except yourself. This is not a tragedy, it is a celebration! You are the perfect version of life…Be you, all of you. It would be a great tragedy to go through life starved of self-love and approval. Reclaim your identity, and start living from there. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find.