Tag: faith

Be You!

From a young age, we are influenced by the expectations of family, teachers, peers, and society. We are gently (or not so gently) taught how to behave, what to believe, and even who we should become. While some of this guidance helps us navigate the world, it can also push us away from our true selves.

Many of us, at some point, have put on a mask—whether to fit in, avoid criticism, or meet someone else’s standards. But living for external validation comes at a cost. It can create anxiety, dissatisfaction, and even a sense of emptiness. True fulfillment comes when we step into our own identity, unapologetically embracing who we are.

What holds us back from being ourselves?

Fear of Rejection or Judgment

One of the biggest reasons people hide their true selves is the fear of not being accepted. Whether it’s the opinions of family, friends, colleagues, or even strangers on social media, we often worry about what others think.

Who are you?

Recently I was asked this question. At first I began to think about my titles. But that wasn’t what they were asking for. Stop and think for a minute and ask yourself; What are my values and beliefs, interest and passions, personality, relationships, purpose and meaning, and sense of self ( self-image)? Honestly this was a hard task! I had a longer list of what I was not than what i was. Also, I kept thinking of what I use to be. Why was that? My problem was like many of you, I was and had become afraid to be myself. You nor I should never apologize for who we are! We fear people will not like us, respect us, or value us if we do not “fit in”. While i was pondering on this, all i could think about was the many times I have reminded my daughter to be herself! God placed each of us on this earth with special qualities. He did not want us to all be the same. We should not envy others, compare ourselves, or conform to what others want us to be. But the reality is, not everyone will like or understand us—and that’s okay. The people who matter will accept us as we are.

Stop trying to fit in!

Being yourself isn’t always easy, but it is one of the most powerful acts of self-love and courage.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Remember “Be yourself, everyone else is taken”

Vulnerable in the Valley…

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

I know what many of you are thinking, this passage is usually associated with death. And while you may not be in the valley of the shadow of death right now, you may be in another valley. A place of scarcity, danger, pain or just the unknown. Most of the time when we are “in the valley” is when we begin to examine our self. It allows us to open up about our fears, hopes and dreams. In doing so, we learn that our struggles are universal. When we think about a valley, we think about a low point. Valleys in life are those low points; it could be just as I described above or even more defined as; relational, emotional, financially, or spiritually. Take a moment to think back when you were in a “valley” in the past. It didn’t last forever. If you are honest with yourself, you learned something from being in that valley or hard time in life. So remember, when you are in a valley, it doesn’t last forever and we should use that time to really dive in and reflect on what you are to gain (strengthen), change, and how you will grow from this time. This is not your first time here, and guess what, it will not be your last! But we can find comfort in knowing that no matter if we are on the mountaintop or in the valley, we are never alone.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ” My power is made perfect in weakness.”

To God, strength lies in acknowledging our weaknesses and embracing our vulnerability. I find it interesting that the word vulnerable derived from the Latin noun vulnus “wound”. Vulnerable can be viewed in several ways. To me, means you are honest with who you are, how you feel and acknowledging the parts of yourself that you would rather keep hidden. Also, a different perspective would be thinking about it in terms of being vulnerable before God, surrendering, knowing God is at work in our weaknesses.

I do believe we are placed in these valleys sometimes to gain strength. We can be encouraged knowing that God uses the valley to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to him. Change is another reason why I feel we are sometimes placed in the valley. Changing our perspective on situations, change jobs that are toxic, change relationships, changing us as an individual. It could be that there has been a change and we may not understand why but remember “when one door closes another opens”. Growth, think about this, would you plant your seeds on the mountaintop? Or would you plant them in the valley where there is water and nutrients in the soil? In the valley right, just as God is growing you in your valley.

Be your authentic self, it allows you to have a stronger sense of who you are. Be more focused, showing grace to yourself and other imperfections. Focusing on self-investment and personal development. While valleys may make us vulnerable, begin to look at them as an opportunity. Our work is really done in the valley. Most of the time the valley is better than the mountaintop.

Until next time, let us be reminded of the wise words Winston Churchill stated, ” Mountain tops inspire leaders but valleys mature them”.