Hiding is so incredibly .... wearing. Trying to show a perfectly put-together exterior to the world is so much work. And yet, I think many of us get in the trap of reaching for perfection, afraid to show the struggles and the mess along the way for fear of others seeing as us "weak" or maybe even .... unworthy. Showing up IN vulnerability IS A PRACTICE. And it's not for the faint at heart. It takes active engagement, perseverance, the choice to let ourselves be seen in all our beautiful messy glory - to have the courage to speak our truth - to have the courage to self-reflect - and to have the courage to say "I am sorry" when we mess up. Because we will always mess up. We aren't here to be perfect. We are here to expand. To grow. To see and be seen. To share. To fail. To dare greatly. To triumph. All of it is beautiful. All of it is part of our story. Integral to the whole. And if we can get over our ego-selves enough to embrace our inner world with self-compassion, mindfulness, love, and care .... we model the kind of action that can change the world. Being authentically ourselves. Brave enough to acknowledge our areas of needed growth as well as our own beautiful potential. We don't need to be "fixed". We need to be seen. Heard. Held. 💗
-xoxo- Jessica