Alice: “Well I hardly know sir. I’ve changed so many times since this morning, you see…”
*sigh* I can relate.
Perhaps you believe in Heaven, maybe you think this life is all you get, and some of you (who shall remain nameless, Nikki you know who you are) pray for reincarnation so that you can come back as Beyonce. Whatever your belief system, there is a bottom line we often miss: You only get one opportunity to live this life as your present self. With ideals, expectations, plans that others hold for us and plans we make for ourselves, how do you know your authentic self and stay true to who you are? As the caterpillar says to Alice, “whO R U?”
How many of us thought we had our lives mapped out at 18? *Raising both hands* Exactly. If we could declare an educational major that would ultimately determine what we did for the rest of our lives, then why couldn’t we accurately plan the age at which we would get married, have our first babies, buy our first house, etc? Let me tell you… I had an AMAZING plan! I would meet my future husband in my final year of college, we would date for 2 years and on my 23rd birthday while we vacationed somewhere tropical, he would pop the question. We would be engaged for a year (time of course to plan my fabulous fictional wedding), and then married for 2 years before I would give birth to my first child. My perfect first-born would inspire a second child, which would be born exactly 2 years after the first. Uh huh. Guess how much of that actually came true? If you guessed ZERO, you guessed right. The question is: Did I fail, or did I not really want that life after all? (I bet you can guess the answer to that question too.)
I’ve done a lot of reflecting this week, and after a fabulous chat with my dear friend Shonagh, I realized how important it is to live in my truth, 24/7. There’s the fear of judgment, for when we’re stripped of false pretenses and our usual DEFENSES, critique and judgment hurt all the more. Not to mention, the big F that most of us are scared to think about, let alone admit to: The fear of our own SUCCESS. I’ve held on to that fear for many years, creating my own self-destructive pattern that has kept me down again and again. What would happen if I let go of that fear, and took my passions, talents, and authenticity to the full potential I know I’m capable of?
There is an overflowing abundance of self-help books designed to help us decipher WHO we are, but every once in a while we need a little reminder to go one step further and BE that person. Every second you spend in people-pleasing, fit-the-mold, surrender-to-society mode is a second you lose in living your truth. The groovy thing is that the choice is up to you.
Choose wisely. 
xoxo-
jenn
