What a week. Since my last post, life has opened rooms of opportunity-- all because I said yes! Yes to myself. Successfully navigating expectations set for oneself, often requires self discipline and sacrifice. However, we can forget to allow ourselves the gift of time and interactions with new people, places, and things. Balancing career, academic pursuits, family, and friendships can leave us saying "no" to new creative endeavors and people. And what is life without discovery? I realized I was neglecting myself, a bit too much, when I found events becoming too predictable. So, saying "yes" to myself, I ventured outside my usual perimeters and precautionary patterns and became vulnerable.
Vulnerability is scary, but necessary to grow. For me, becoming vulnerable isn't throwing away relationships and things that have rooted me, but rethinking the internal rules and barriers constructed in my own mind when I felt vulnerable without the benefit of knowing my own strength and ability. Now, in this season of my life, I know I possess that bounce back magic to keep it stepping-- resilience. So I am open to a new way of thinking and interacting with people, places, and things. Yes, to that man winking at me, before I verified income. Yes, to places unseen, and yes to whatever new thing our friends beg us to try. I say yes, and see what is being offered to me. In this way, I examine the offering and find opportunities to grow further, reach deeper within. I hope we all can say yes more often, knowing we have enough within us to fully
experience what is next.