Becoming Yourself

I had the wonderful opportunity to see Michelle Obama on her book tour for Becoming.  It was simply amazing.

She posed the question to us all:  Who are You Becoming?  

To me, the answer is–Yourself.  As time goes on, it has gotten crystal clear to me that being true to yourself is the key to real happiness.  No one but you can decide what your passions are.  No one but you can decide to pursue them–or not.  No one can tell you what color should be your favorite, what book you will enjoy, what tastes good, what clothes you like, music you like jamming to, people you prefer–basically, what floats your boat.  

And once you realize the power in Becoming Yourself, confidence grows.  Trusting  your gut instincts becomes stronger.  You believe you can fly.  Why?  I think it’s because when you feel good about yourself, that radiates out to others.  The vibration of your positive internal energy can light fires of creativity, bring joy, and diffuse tensions.  When you know who YOU are, you inspire people to want to be around you and to help you direct you to your life’s purpose.   

What’s really gratifying though, is the fact that for many women–myself included, “Becoming Yourself” happens later in life.  It’s after you’ve been through some stuff.  Taken some hits.  Lost some battles, jobs, lovers, friends, family.  Then you wake up and realize, “Hey, I’m still here–still standing!”  And you become stronger knowing that you will not only survive, but thrive from the lessons learned in the trenches of becoming who you are. 

When you are grounded in who you are, it’s easier to let things go, as well as stand up for what you believe.  There’s a nuanced balance in doing that.  Every fight isn’t worth the battle.  Yet, letting things slide to “keep the peace” isn’t necessarily the best path either.  How do you know which fork in the road toward becoming yourself to take?  Experience. 

Experience is one of the best teachers of discernment.   And discernment is the art of knowing when to stop, go, release, run, walk, talk, be silent, listen, laugh or cry through any given situation for the best possible outcome.   Experience teaches discernment, and with strong discernment muscles, wisdom can grow and thankfully, be shared.  

I am absolutely loving growing older and experiencing the benefits of wisdom.  It feels so good to have an increasingly accurate inner compass to direct my thoughts, actions, behaviors and decisions based on lessons learned over the years. 

Becoming Yourself is a true blessing.   It’s a never ending process too, Thank God.  One of my favorite sayings is “As long as I can look up, I can get up.”  I can get my mind up and body moving.  Even when my body won’t cooperate, I hope my mind will still be able to, allowing me to keep on keeping on–growing and Becoming Myself!

How about you?  Are you Becoming Yourself this year? 

That’s a good resolution to have.

See you next week.

Hugs, Amy