MY FAVORITE PEOPLE INSPIRE ME TO BE FREE

My life is an occasion. I am rising to it.

 

With 4th of July here, Suzanne Weyn's quote is a great reminder for me that my freedom and independence lies in the moment. I am rising to it.  I am rising to it every moment I choose to be mindful, to be present to my gut feeling, my intuition, and then I have the freedom to act on my intuition.

Harley, Tommy & me during Thanksgiving last year.

 

Last October, I moved from Dallas to Fort Worth to join households with my wonderful life partner, Tommy, and his two beautiful children.  I love my new life.  It has been an exciting and challenging time, shifting into new modalities, living with a family after an entire adulthood living solo, and now commuting to Dallas for work during the week. This period has been a “reset” for me, a time of mindfulness of every move I make, everything I do and say, every plan I set forth, every direction I give my team at work, every piece of jewelry I design.
 

This period of heightened mindfulness and connection has made me more aware of some of life’s biggest challenges, in particular: how to be my authentic self in a culture filled with written and unwritten social contracts.  These expectations are the filters that I have grown up with from family, from friends, in the news and social media, in magazines, in fashion, in blogs, in the entertainment world, and even from a simple assumption I make from a look on a stranger’s face.  Every single one of us is subject to these made-up expectations if we allow ourselves to be.


Left: Harley, Tommy & me after Harley's performance of
High School Musical last year at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth 
Right: Ethan & Tommy

 

My discoveries and adventures throughout my adult life have led me to recognize what these filters are, and to shed most of them with a goal of clearly hearing and enthusiastically embracing my desires for my life.  Because we are social animals, I of course need to learn from others. The people I spend my time with are people of whom I admire, and who genuinely honor themselves and their own authenticity.

I tell you all this on the day before July 4th, Independence Day, to remind each of you of your personal independence to listen to your authenticity. I am finding that the more authentic I am, the healthier of a role model I am for everyone around me. The more I am independent of the filters that I have unconsciously let the outside world place upon me, the more present I am to be the incredible human being I was intended to be.

 

We are about to have our second annual Feel Beautiful Week. ‘Feel beautiful' has been my personal and professional mantra for over 12 years now.  I am surrounded by strong, independent women, and each one is beautiful in her own way. Next week I will share some of these special women with you.  I also encourage you to think about what makes you feel beautiful inside and out.

Feel Beautiful!
Elizabeth