Each of us has an authentic self.
That core of our being that remains,
When all pretense,
All demands,
Fall away.
So much of our lives we spent in search of who we are,
Walking upon a fragile road,
Fearful the soil beneath our feet might crumble and we'd fall.
Never quite knowing what to do or what to say.
Or if we did,
It was rehearsed,
Safe,
Or tactical.
But now,
As we age,
And as the youthful facades we so carefully crafted fall away,
We find that what remains is so comfortably who we truly are.
This is without a doubt.
One of the great joys of ageing.
A woman I know,
In her mid-sixties,
Upon leaving a demanding job that required her always to be up for others,
To serve them,
To solve their problems.
Bound upon her retirement.
Than when their busyness fell away.
So too did all the busyness of her mind and body.
What she thought was just who she was.
What remained was a quiet core of presence.
She moves now through her days from task to loving task with the gentleness and wisdom that had always been there,
But hidden behind the structured facade of her public life.
Each of us has an authentic self that has the power to curate each moment,
To make of our lives an artistic endeavor,
To bring a richness to the world.
We need but to listen and attend.
If these ideas resonate for you or pique your interest.
I hope you'll take a few moments today to reflect upon your sense of an authentic self and how it can shape your day with even greater freedom and grace.
For the good of yourself and all the world.
