Are you who you truly are? Or are you the product of the expectations and projections of others, starting with your parents, siblings, extended family members, teachers, friends and partners? If you would have asked me that question 10 years ago, I would have answered that I am me. Today, I am aware that I have been the product of expectations and projections. Despite peeling away the layers, I come across new ones every so often. It is a journey to become myself more and more. And it is an important journey.
For what reason do I feel it is so important? Each one of us has unique strengths, skills and abilities. Each one of us has a unique life story, a unique way we have dealt with the issues we had. Exactly because of that, each one of us is a gift and can contribute to an increase in consciousness. The question is: are we willing to step into being who we are?
Here are some issues we will have to deal with if we are willing: For the majority of people change is not welcome. They prefer that things stay the same for they see that as a stability in their life. If someone changes, that person is often faced with judgments and a variety of attempts to get them back to where (s)he was before. In the face of it, it may seem to be easier to not show the “new me” and we may choose to forget about it or slowly slide back. (And, yes, for most of us, it is impossible to completely go back.)
There is the personal reality each one of us has based on our points of view, our decisions and judgments. And then there is the reality of our society and culture. There may be some overlap between the two. The tolerance, though, for someone to have a personal reality that is quite different from society’s reality is very low. From early on, we have become entrained to fit in. Yet on some level, we know we don't fit in For instance, when we go out into Nature and talk with a rock, a tree, a hawk, a cloud, the wind, etc. One can’t do that; it’s a nice idea, but let’s be real here! It’s the same as Harry Potter being such a success, yet in society’s reality magic does not exist. Is it true, though, that magic does not exist? Is magic just a phantasy or is it a reality? I guess it depends on one’s willingness to suspend judgments and conclusions. For isn’t talking with the animals or elements of Nature magic?
If we take this a step further, we can agree that our personal reality is different from society’s. Us being us, if we choose it, will lead us to accomplish things that others consider impossible. Since our reality is not the same as society’s, we also do not have those same limitations. That is where each one of us being willing to be who we are is the gift. We show others, in our own individual ways, what else is possible, that more is possible. That can become the invitation for others to find out what’s true for them that goes beyond what this reality is considering possible or real. That is how we change the world, one step at the time, one choice at the time. And that is how we are no longer at the effect of this reality.
My invitation is: Will you step into who you are? Choose what is light and expansive for you, not what you think you are supposed to choose. Trust your knowing! Today's world needs people who are themselves, who are aware of possibilities and do not "buy" society's story line.