I Choose...

to be the best that I can be
I choose
to be authentic in everything I do
my past don't dictate who I am
I choose
I choose

we listened to this song today by India.Arie as i play this CD, all her CDs for that matter, a lot. i heard my girls singing these words over and over from their room.
and i was thinking, yeah, i want that for them. i want to show them what that looks like, how that feels, what that really means.

in reading the new blogs i've stumbled onto (several of them are now on my 'blogs i read/follow' list) i've come across a badge labeled 'I choose authenticity' and finally followed the link today to see what this was all about. it brought me to Brene' Brown's blog/page/info with more information about the whole "movement," if you will. in so reading i decided that this is something i'm not only going to do for myself, but publicly, here in this space, as well.

i'd like to believe that as i've grown older, i've been growing wiser. it's been about 10 years since I made the conscious decision to stop "fakin' the funk," "wearing the mask," pretending something that isn't true. It initially started in response to some unnecessary drama at work with some colleagues. it them moved into my general acquaintance/friends sphere and more recently has moved into my relationships with family. (isn't that strange how it worked that way?)

boundaries are important for every area of one's life. i didn't realize that what may be a 'common boundary' for me isn't for the next person. and it's up to me to open my mouth and use my words to inform the other person when my boundaries have been crossed--i can't depend on or expect them to know what they are. it's sort of like one's personal body space just for ones inner spirit. we often hear it said like "being able to say no." but it also applies to being able to say yes! being able to give yourself totally and completely to the joys in life without finding a reason not to.

in recognizing this for myself and desiring to be more of who i am (as opposed to becoming more like the person others think i should be) i am choosing to be authentic.

so what exactly is being authentic? i'll share what brene' brown has written:



now, if this seems like something that might be inspiring/helpful/needed in your life please take the time to follow the link.

so, today, i'm taking this pledge:



and i hope that in so doing, i can pass a bit more goodness into the lives of my children, family, friends and the world!

being the change....