Be You, Bravely

Somewhere along life’s path I lost myself.
Or maybe it’s not so much that I lost myself as I never quite found who I am.
I have always been ashamed of myself- feeling like I can’t quite measure up to the high standard the world and I have set. When we moved to Minnesota, I knew I couldn’t keep living my life like that. My own self-consciousness was prohibiting me from being my best self, making new friends, and trying new things. Something had to give.

I really admire the girls I have met. They all seem so cool and confident in themselves. I told myself depressingly that they would never want to be friends with me because I’m too weird, awkward, nerdy, shy...I could keep going for days. So I sat and I thought. What was it that drew me to these individuals (and those I've known in the past)? The thought unraveled slowly as I began to realize that they are unashamedly themselves. They don’t apologize for who they are- they embrace their whole selves and share that with others. I love that about them! They are each unique and have so much to offer to the world. They are beautiful people because they are who they are.

All my life I’ve been hiding who I am because I am so hyper-focused on what others will think of that girl. I have been doing it all wrong! All I need to do is to be me! I don’t need to hide my nerdy side like my love of Harry Potter or my quirky side like my collection of over-sized wolf shirts. The people who truly love me know that those little things make me who I am.

I sometimes think of my junior year of college as my “golden days.” Never have I been so confident in myself. I was not afraid to share myself with others and as a result I met so many people and made so many memories. Kyle was one of those people that I met and despite my flaws (see: my Amanda Baby Christmas album) he loved and still loves me.

I recently listened to an Alison Show podcast about branding. Alison talks about how people worry about their product because the market feels over saturated. She advises that we shouldn't worry about that because we each have the opportunity to influence and reach people in our own way. So to some of you this will be just another blog post and to others this will have an impact on you! For example, when I shared my infertility journey I had a few people reach out to me and talk about how much my words touched them.  We were able to share experiences and build each other up. Isn’t that such a beautiful piece of social media that we are often missing?

So here is my Sunshine Ray for you:

Stop hiding yourself. You are beautiful! Those things that you are self-conscious about make you who you are. You can’t force yourself to love or be something different.
So be you, bravely!
I tell myself that at least 10 times a day. Whenever I feel nervous or I start to shrink back into myself, I remind myself that I am awesome because I am me! Am I full of flaws? Yep! Do I have a lot I need to work on? Always.
Share your influence with those around you and watch as you fill the world with your light.

Be Awesome Challenge:
My challenge for you this week is to share at least three things about yourself that make you, you. Head on over to my Insta to check out mine. I can’t wait to see what you decide to do!

Cheers,

Amanda