When Will you...?

Everyone deserves your Authentic-Self!

A day a few years ago became a day that I will never forget because it was the day I realized that I didn't need permission to become the person I was. Until that point I hid a big part of who I was for fear of judgement - I just wanted to "fit in".

For years, I thought I should be a certain way, that I needed permission, that I was best to stay "under the radar" and not be noticed. I am someone who never wanted the spotlight and as an only child I was often quite alright to be alone and was also very quiet in most situations. But as I tried to really find out who I truly was, I met a man who is now one of my amazing mentors, PK Kevin Smith. One of the first times I met him I shared a room with about 60 people at Base Borden, he said something that was so significant. "Stop looking for permission to be a leader - you already are and people deserve your leadership." He went on to explain that the leadership he speaks of is not what we typically see leadership to be. Traditional leadership is when a person is given a leadership title based on qualifications or degrees and in fact that type of leader may not have a lot of respect from the people they are trying to lead. The leadership that PK speaks of is the leader without a title (Robin Sharma) The leader willing to help others see their gifts, the leader that believes in people, the leader that shows up and leads by example. The leader that is congruent and in integrity with what they say and what they do. Playing small doesn't help anyone; you see. And I was playing far too small because I feared what others thought of me. Leaders at times do have the hard decisions to make and in the past I would avoid those tough decisions...now I know when a tough decision comes along, I deserve to make a decision because my actions or lack of action not only affects me, it affects hundreds of others and I care about each person that my actions affect.

A question I have for you is - when are you going to be willing to let go of the idea that you need to have permission from others before you become the authentic self that you are? Very few will step into their potential because of that same fear that I had; that we often all experience...we don't want to be judged or we are afraid to be different.

I am here to say, listening to my inner voice was the best gift I have given myself and the best gift I have given to others. We shine our own light and this allows for others to begin stepping into their untapped potential too!

This weekend was a turning point for me and I feel a new side is being awakened for me. I look forward to seeing other dimensions of myself transform and I know that will awaken new dimensions for others I know and care about too! How exciting!

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