"It takes courage to live an authentic life."
- Alta Porterfield
I've had the opportunity to work in a field in which it is a good thing to wear your heart on your sleeve. Maybe that heart is constantly "bleeding", but I don't actually care what anyone thinks. I'll be that one person who's always pushing for us to be better. If that's my biggest annoying characteristic, I'll be glad to claim it. It takes courage to stand up for what you believe in, but I'll let you in on a little secret: once you've gotten past something you didn't think you could overcome, the belief you gain in yourself helps you tackle the next challenge.
Alta Porterfield is the former president of our church's Board of Trustees. Last week, she gave a sermon that made me burst into tears. She meant to address the issue of patriotism for the 4th of July, but instead, she hit on a topic extremely close to my heart - being sure of yourself and serving as an example for others. She asked us how we might serve as examples within our own community. I realized that pretending to be perfect in every way isn't a realistic example to set for my children. People make mistakes. By covering up my own imperfections and acting like everything's GREAT!, I'm perpetuating an unattainable standard.
Standing up for what you believe in is NOT easy. You will lose friends. You will be embarassed. You will scare people. You will run into all sorts of opposition. Your parents may not understand, though they will probably love you anyway (you hope). You may be worried about being ostracized from your "tribe." These things will pass, and you will remain. You have to live with yourself, so you'd better be at peace with yourself.
Living an authentic life means embracing your bleeding heart, your inner nerd, your love of flowers, your obsession with socks, whatever oddball habits you may have, using those pieces of your character to build a life for yourself. Love those weird things about yourself, and those weird things will love you back. You never - and I mean never - know what they will turn into.
Have the courage to live an authentic life.
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