25 Days of Learning: Being Me

Day Five: This weekend I learned a lot about myself and what I want to be doing with my time. It involves spending more time with others and letting myself be myself without worrying about how others may receive me. After all, what's the point of being received by others at all if it's not the real you they're receiving? I could go on a lot longer, but the point of the matter is that I'm awesome as 100% me. Not as 30% me with a side of timidity or 65% me topped with what I think people want to hear or even 99% me with just a little held back--only the 100% version will allow me to be happy and do what God intends me to do. Does He want the 100% me to become an even better, more refined 100%? Of course. But changing to become a better me is different than changing to become just plain better. God made me the way I am on 100% purpose and He needs all 100% of me to do His work, no 30% with a side will do. As Dr. Seuss puts it:

I intend to start living as the Youest You (or the Mest Me) I can possibly be. Nothing could be better.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,

gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously

give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson