I am who I am

I am who I am!  And you know what?! That is a beautiful thing! That is the most gracious thing any of us can be ~ is ourselves. Not the puppets of expectations from others, but being fully engaged in our life moment by moment! Being fully engaged in our life KNOWING who we are, our own desires, our own strengths, and even our own weaknesses. Not just knowing them, but accepting them, and eventually loving them. The things that make us so different from someone else, that is the one breath of pause while God created you and had an aha moment as he held the paintbrush of creation. YOU are unique. Until we STOP trying to live like someone else, look like someone else, worship like someone else, pretending to be someone else, we will NEVER see the goodness of God within us. And if we do not see the goodness of God within us, how on this green earth can we begin to see the goodness of God in others?!

Don't give me any of this "Well I love others okay, but I just don't love me." If your not loving you, you are NOT loving anyone. I am the first to jump on the bandwagon of tearing myself down ~ but until just this moment, I never ever realized that each time I start tearing myself down, I am building a habit deep within me. Eventually, maybe not immediately, I will then begin tearing others down. I don't want to destroy the greatness that God put in someone because I am feeling a bit uncomfortable in my own skin. It is only at the moment of uncomfortableness that I can choose to embrace myself for me, or simply commit silent suicide and become someone I am not. (No, I don't mean ACTUAL suicide, but it was very symbolic of what we do.)

So, as I embrace the me that I am learning to love fully and completely I decided I would share some of my favorite things about myself!

• I have a cute giggle, that is often heard throughout the day whether I am laughing at something funny or even at myself.
• The older I get, my sense of humor becomes greater.
• I love whole heartily.
• If able to, I can bring out the good in  people ~ not for who I am, but I often can find their goodness deep within, even if it is hidden.
• Music moves me ~ spiritually, emotionally, and yes even physically! You need me to be productive ~ blast some tunes. Need me to focus? Put on some Jim Brickman.
• I am not afraid of "giving up" things ~ yet I desperately hold on to the habits that have changed my heart, mind and soul.
• Words of encouragement often just roll of my tongue without much thought.
• I like to clean!  ~ yeah sick I know!!! =)
• I often am like a puppy dog ~ willing to forgive easily. Sadly, I am often the puppy at the pound because I put myself in the same situations.
• Even in moments of anxiety ~ I have a inner strength that can move mountains!

Until you fully are able to accept you ~ even the parts others may reject you for, you cannot accept others. Until you LOVE yourself you will NOT love others. So, I end this with the same way I started it. I am who I am. You either accept me for that or you don't accept me at all. The greatest news of all that is .... it doesn't matter if you accept me or not ~ that is not a requirement for me to find greatness deep within!