There is a vitality, a life force, an energy,
a quickening that is translated through you into action,
and because there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.
And if you block it,
it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.
Martha Graham
My birthday is this week, and it is a significant milestone marker for me. I have lived many more years than I thought I would. And like many of you, I have accomplished some good things along the way while gaining a bit of wisdom.
I thought I would take a break from our ongoing series, “Stories We Tell Ourselves,” and do something different this week. You can catch up with the series most recent post here.
As I move into life’s final quarter, approaching the edges of the light and the long night, here are some thoughts for this birthday week.
Each of us is unique and valuable.
The problems start, I think, when we first begin to think or feel that we are not valuable or perhaps, that we are not valued. For some of us that may start in early childhood, at the hands of friends or loved ones. For some of us, it starts in school or as we progress through work situations.
Everyone will not love us.
That is a fact of life, and it is ok. But, we must learn to love ourselves and revel in our uniqueness. And that is the subject of today’s blog, not just for myself, but for you as well.
Being different makes us interesting.
I have learned to celebrate my uniqueness. Although I am a bit of an introvert, I feel good about having traits that stand out in a crowd.
Sometimes we might feel like the odd duck when we are with others. It is normal to want to fit in. But we must avoid compromising our values just to be considered a part of the group, one of the “cool kids.” I don’t think I ever made it onto the “cool kids” list. :
When we are being ourselves, we can be at ease. We shouldn’t feel nervous or uncomfortable when we embrace our true selves. We are able to focus on the tasks at hand when we avoid trying to be what others expect.
Many of life’s great opportunities come about because we remain true to ourselves. It is easy for us to maintain integrity when we stick to being ourselves and embrace our differences.
Believe that your true self is your best self.
Commit to being honest about who you are and what you have accomplished. I am as guilty as anyone of being caught up “impostor syndrome.” But I am working on it.
Be proud of what you’ve done with your life!!
Chat soon.
