Found this on a facebook site and liked it. Thought I'd share. Worn
Free To Be Me
by Marie T. Russell
What a liberating thought — I am free to be me!
Think about it... for years you have been molded
and pushed to behave in certain 'acceptable' ways.
You have been asked to adhere to tradition, to behave
according to certain accepted rules of behavior,
and to dress according to the norm. To act like the Jones.
To make sure you didn't "paint outside the lines".
You have done as you were told, fearing punishment
or worse, afraid of not being loved. You have accepted
beliefs that others held without question. You agreed
with what others said about you -- you were smart,
stupid, pretty, ugly, etc. You have believed that what
others thought was true of you had to be so —
that others knew best -- that they were smarter or
wiser and somehow knew what was good for you.
Yet, if you look within, you know that some of those
accepted beliefs are not necessarily your truths.
They are the truths of those around you.
For example as a child, you may have been told that
you were too noisy, or too playful. Now obviously,
if you were behaving in that fashion this was how
you wanted to be -- that was the real you wanting to
express itself. When we were told that we were 'too' this
or 'too' that, we felt that our behavior must be incorrect
and adapted ourselves to what was expected of us...
and thus lost our spontaneity and joy in the process.
Whose rules are we following now? The ones imposed
by our parents? And whose rules were they following?
Their parents? It goes back for many millennium and
has nothing to do with us. Need there be rules at all?
If we all were true to our "inner self" or our "higher self",
rules would be unnecessary.
We all have an ingrained sense of right and wrong,
of what is loving and what is not, of what is "right"
and what is not. It is time to return to trusting ourselves --
to trusting that small inner voice, that sense of true joy
and spontaneity. We need to free up our true selves
by releasing them from the chains and rules of conduct
that were imposed on us. We are trustworthy!
We can follow our inner wisdom and it will always
support us and guide us.
I am free to be me! This thought, when affirmed regularly,
brings freedom. Now the first thing you may notice,
as you tell yourself that you are free to be you,
are certain fears, doubts, and guilt coming up.
I remember thinking that the 'me' that was inside
was not a 'good' one — that I was selfish, unworthy,
unlovable, etc. etc. When you look inside yourself,
you may discover some similar beliefs — that if you
are truly 'yourself' you will be unacceptable to your boss,
friends, mate, co-workers, etc. Yet that is simply a
figment of your imagination, of your fears,
or of someone else's fears.
The 'you' inside is that same innocent, spontaneous
child that you were — the one who was amazed at
the beauty of a dandelion flower, or that could find
immense joy in splashing around in a mud puddle —
that playful being who enjoyed the present and did not
concern itself about "proper" and acceptable societal
norms (i.e. dirty clothes, weeds on the lawn, 'proper'
attire and behavior, etc.). That spontaneous, natural,
and joyful person still resides inside of you. All you need
to do is give it permission to 'come out and play'.
We can now step forth from behind our masks and take
the risk to be real... to express our joys, our fears, our
insecurities, our love, our hopes, and our dreams.
I am free to be me! I can allow myself to be spontaneous.
I can let myself be real and feel my feelings, express the
truth as I see it in the present moment, and let my love
for life radiate from my being, expressed in my thoughts,
words, and actions.
Trust yourself. You are an innocent, joyful being.
Within you are the seeds of joy, happiness, and
success. Affirm: "I am free to be me! I am free to
express myself in whatever ways seem loving
and true to my inner being. I am free to be me
and to create the world I want around me.
I have the right to express my inner divinity
and to live a life of love, joy, and creativity."
Trust your instincts. Trust that small inner voice
that guides you to the right, loving action.
That small inner voice is who you really are.
That terrible person you have imagined yourself
to be is a machination of your imagination, fears,
and self-doubts. Yes, you have made mistakes...
haven't we all? Yes, you had instances where you
were unjust, petty, and did not express loving or
peaceful thoughts. Those are nothing more than
experiences that you went through -- errors in judgment.
Your true inner self is still an innocent, loving being --
an angel in physical form. That is who you are.
You can reclaim it now!
You are free to be who you really are!
A divine child of the Universe...
