by Lori Deschene

“By accepting yourself and being fully what you are, your presence can make others happy.” -Jane Roberts

I suspect we all want permission to be exactly who we are–to accept ourselves instead of feeling unsure of ourselves, and then somehow find a balance between being and improving.

When we see someone else who appears to do that, despite their weaknesses and flaws, it’s immensely inspiring and gratifying. Why? Because we all want to believe that even if we can be better, there’s nothing wrong with being exactly who we are.

Yet only we can give that feeling to ourselves. No one else can validate us, support us, love us, inspire us, or motivate us to believe that we are enough. If we can find that magical feeling of being OK with being, we can give so much to the world around us, whether we realize it or not, because everyone wants to let themselves relax and simply be.

Today if you question yourself, doubt yourself, or otherwise feel down on yourself, remember: everyone does, but the moment when one of us finds the courage to stand strong, it has a ripple effect on everyone else. The question remains: which ones of us will be brave enough to love who we are today?

Photo by Eddi van W