Ideas pile up, turning into distant memories the longer they lay dormant. In the silent creases of night, cobwebs form on dreams that only hope to one day be brought to fruition. Have you ever felt like this before? As if everything you think about, everything you wish for just doesn’t seem to be coming to you. Now with all this new-agey talk about manifestation and bringing your desires to you, does it more often seem like your chances are running away?
I myself have fallen into these feelings many many times over the past few years and have eventually come to realize just why I am so gullible to this trap. Although it is always set up in the same very predictable way, I never could find a motivating enough reason to step over this trap to journey forward into my destiny. I was scared. That is something that I am in many ways still trying to deal with for myself. Usually lost somewhere in a space of comparing myself to others, I became afraid that if I did make a move it would all be in vain. The craziest part about that is by listening to this fear, my moves were in vain anyway.
Recently I was reminded of my favorite Audre Lorde quote where she says “When we speak we are afraid that our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid, so it is better to speak”. Always hitting me and giving me the perspective I so often need these words gave me the kick in the butt I needed to remember to appreciate myself, my talents, and all that I have to offer the world. See I have begun to understand that the more that we hold ourselves back from self expression, the more we are offering our souls up for auction. Each of us, beautiful and unique in our own rights, have been placed here on this Earth for a purpose, and everytime we deny our self expression, we are in turn denying the best parts of our existence.
Now don’t get me wrong, this is by no means an easy task. Asking us to go out into the world and be ourselves without fear all of the time sounds kind of insane if you asked me two years ago. I mean really, just be myself, all of the time, what would that even look like. As I dive deeper into such thoughts I find that it looks exactly like shaking the dust and cobwebs off of all of my goals, and it gives me the freedom to create the life I want to live. No longer hanging on by the edge of my seat I am not determined to make the transition from passenger to conductor. With these new realities glaring in my face I am ready to conquer the world. I am ready to set myself free, and that my dear readers, is what I would like to encourage you to do for yourself.
With yet another PRIDE month coming to an end, I challenge you to continue living as if you are free from the constraints that people, places, and things try to put on you. Give yourself permission to live out loud and be proud of who you are and what you are accomplishing even well past the month of June. It is time that we realize that there’s room enough for all of us to eat, so let’s stop short changing ourselves for the sake of others. Remember old dreams and bring them back to life within you. Stop living out the expectations of others and choose to live for you; make yourself happy. Because if there is only one thing I have found to be true, it is that no matter what life throws at us, having the freedom to express all ranges of who you are and how you feel is of utmost importance every month of the year.
So with that I say get up, get out and go create a life that is authentic and meaningful to you!
“To be yourself is truly a revolutionary act, and I think more and more people should try it…”
-Lena Waithe
Creative Wholeness 