Warning: naughty language ahead.

If you’re like me, you regularly forget how awesome you are.

Not the run-of-the-mill kind of awesome, either. I’m talking summit of Everest, whale shark, redwood grove awesome. That’s us.

It’s time to own that shit.

Sometimes I get so lost in my self judgment that I forget who I am—who I really am. I latch onto insecure, scared, lazy, ugly and—insert self-abusive modifier here—instead of the myriad positive things which also, more truly, define me.

Can I get a kick in the ass?



Maybe we’re all the same?



It’s too easy to forget some very basic facts about ourselves, facts that not only make it easier to survive this sometimes dark, overwhelming reality, but to thrive in it as well. Facts that serve as daily reminders of all that we are and continue to become.

Facts worth repeating, as often as possible, especially when our minds (or someone else’s) wants to tear us down or try to convince us that we are anything but whole and just right. As we are.

Let’s get to it.

We are resilient.

How else can we explain our willingness to rise up—again and again—after life slams us with disappointments? We didn’t get the job. Our romantic relationship disintegrated. We lost a loved one. Maybe we wallow in misery for a while, but we always surface. Sometimes weak and battered, but we surface, and we walk on. We continue to try, not swayed from our path or our desire to grow.

We are resilient.

We are courageous.

Life can be really scary. Spiritual growth is terrifying, full of unwelcome revelations, new glimpses into the depth of our darkness and a deeper sensitivity to emotional pain.

Still, we press forward, through the pain, toward the light. Still, we wake up, committed to getting to the other side, through the tears and fears and unknowns.

Like a tiger, hungry and determined, not immune to fear but bold beyond it.

We are courageous.

We are creative.

We are artists, gifted with our own unique, colorful view of the world. Our imagination is ours alone, filled with ideas and inspirations that only we can bring.

Forget about the judgments and expectations of others. They have nothing to do with our singular vision. There are no limits to our creativity, no bounds to our artistic expression except those we place on ourselves. Release the bonds now and let our creativity carry us away.



We are creative.

We are intuitive.

We don’t have to be a psychic to be psychic. Our guts have guided and will continue to guide us, as long as we stay open to it.

Just be sure not to mistake our ego for our gut—egos and guts work with entirely different motivations. Don’t underestimate intuition. We are one with life, with everything, so of course we have a heightened sensitivity to the world around us. Our intuition is strong; it comes from feeling, not thinking.

Let’s turn off our minds regularly and let our inner wisdom lead us. It’s a good ride.

We are intuitive.

We are love.

If we forget everything else about ourselves, remember, at least, that we are love. Sweet, beautiful, pure love.

Our entire being is built on the energy of love and from this energy flows all the light within us—the resilience and courage and creativity and intuition that has helped transform us into the inspiring individuals we continue to become.

Deeper than anything else, stronger than any of our fears and insecurities, we are love. Revel in this knowledge. Use it to carry us even farther along our path. And because love never recedes but only grows the more freely it’s given, be sure to share love with all we encounter. We’re changing more lives than we know.

We are love.



So, no matter how else we choose to define ourselves and no matter how life looks and feels right now or in the future, always take comfort in the fact that we are—among many other kick-ass things—resilient, courageous, creative, intuitive and, of course, made of love.

~

Love elephant and want to go steady?

Apprentice Editor: Bronwyn Petry / Editor: Rachel Nussbaum

Photo: Frank Kovalchek, Flickr Creative Commons