Have you ever felt lost in life? Aimlessly, searching for IT. The it that will bring happiness, peace and purpose?
This is the way I’ve lived, survived my entire life. Until recently.
I own more self-help (now referred to as self-improvement, most likely to console consumers) books than I’d like to admit. I’ve had two careers (nursing and massage therapy) and started several ventures. All of these things resulted in wasted money and time. Each attempt I made, trying to find the thing that would fulfill me, make me whole, make me somebody, inevitably resulted in more confusion.
Over the last two months I’ve felt more alive than I’ve ever experienced. Being open and truly vulnerable; just me being myself.
Just. Me. Being. Myself... has set me free from self-imposed bondage. It sounds simple, but for me this is HUGE. I allowed myself that freedom because I knew how it could benefit others. Sharing my story honestly for the world to see, raising awareness and being engulfed by an inspiring community of women unleashed something inside of me. Something that gave me life.
For once, I was Raivon. I’d never given myself the freedom to do that, honestly I’m not sure that I actually wanted to be Raivon. I never really thought that I was someone worth being. I’ve always wanted to change myself: be, act, look differently.
I was once horrified to share my blog. You have to read it: Scared to Share My Blog. It’s sad, it’s embarrassing but I know there are others out there that feel this way. If that’s you. STOP IT! Stop wasting your life. If it’s someone you love, share this with them!
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Likewise… If you live but never truly share yourself with others, did you really live?
By helping others I, helped myself. Better yet, by loving others I was able to love myself; not the me I wanted to become, but the me that I am right here, right now.
Be okay with who you are.
Know that everyone won’t like you, what you have to say, how you act, look, smell (the list could go on and on) BUT you will have peace and confidence in knowing that the ones who remain in your life, love you… truly love YOU, not who you pretend to be.
It took many years for me to come to this place. To drop the people pleasing. And I’ll be the first to tell ya, Raivon ain’t all that bad! I like her.
If you have been in this place, what was it that set you free?
John 8:32 (NIV)
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
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