I spent time looking inward at my authentic self – recognizing who I truly am, acknowledging and accepting that I am exactly who God created me to be and that trying to be anything else was a waste of time.
Sometimes when I think about all of this I am filled with shame, I berate myself and think about how weak I was that I allowed who I was to be dictated by other people and how easily I lost touch with myself.
But then I remember to show myself grace. I remember that we’re always in process.
I felt like I was becoming who I am and unbecoming who I am not all at the same time.
I let go of the shoulds and shed my chameleon skin.
I realized that it takes courage to grow up to become who you really are like e.e. cummings says.
I let go of the stigma that seeking help isn’t okay and am proud of the hard work I’ve done through counseling.
I embraced tools like the Enneagram and practices like self-care to continue to cultivate my personal growth and self-awareness.
It’s not easy and it’s a continual process that I’m still engaged in, but it’s so worth it.
Because one of the bravest things we can do is be who we are, so we know who we’re not.
So today…
May you be reminded today to be who you are.
Because who you are is beautiful, strong, courageous and enough.
May you remember that you are who you are and that is enough.
You are enough because you were created to be loved and to love.
May you say no to the shoulds and to the temptation to cover up your truth.
May you take care of yourself and show yourself grace.
May you not back down from the rewarding journey of being your authentic, whole, true self.
May you rest in your God-breathed worth and know you are one who is dearly loved.
{I mentioned the Enneagram and the transformational power it has had on my life. The Enneagram is a dynamic personality typing system that helps us recognize self-defeating patterns so we can be our true selves. I’m an Enneagram Coach and if you’re interest in learning more I would love to journey alongside you toward wholeness and self-awareness. If you’re interested contact me here.}
***
This article originally appeared at AbbyButer.com.
