Embrace your incredible uniqueness

This morning was the same as any other of my mornings. Get up, scramble getting ready, making sure the girls are getting dressed and ready for school, breakfast and then flying out the door to drop them off. I then make my journey into work with the start of a stop off at my neighborhood coffee place. I get out of the car and what I saw in front of me just brought a smile and a great inner joy to my soul. These funny birds that were looking for scraps on the pavement were there many times before. This time it was different, there was an oddball in the pack. To the small family of crows there was now a seagull. It stood out like a sore thumb but was acting like the others and following them around. I found myself standing there watching them for a moment in sheer delight.

This vision continued to play in my head while I went in and got my nice cup of hot steamy coffee. I am that seagull. I am unique in a world where many things are common. I tried to act and fit in with the system for a long time and now I have embraced my creativeness and love showing my personality. There is a part of us all that is unique but why are we so afraid to show who we are to the world I wondered. The judgment, the ridicule we might feel suppresses us and leave us feeling adequate.

We must…repeat…must get to a place as woman where we feel it is safe to be us. The real us, unique, struggling, transparent, beautiful, a mom, a girlfriend, a friend, whatever you call yourself in this world… know that there is an amazing person inside that should no longer hide away. Scream it from the rooftops that you were made perfect and everything that we go through in life is a lesson so we may find ourselves in a deeper way.

I was encouraged by that seagull today to wave my personal banner and say this is who I am and I love me. I think all of us could use that reminder every day. So dust yourself off if you are having a rough morning, take a deep breath, and give yourself a time out for a moment from the kids or work to appreciate yourself and your uniqueness.

Much love
jess