I gotta be me!

Be who you are and be that perfectly well. – St. Francis de Sales

 

If quotes were food, then this is my chicken noodle soup (with lots of chicken and thick noodles on a cold winter’s day.) It is that comforting to me. When I am reminded of this quote, a smile spreads across my heart, and I let out a collective sigh. What a relief! I just have to be the best me that I can be. How hard is that?

So many wise people have said the same thing in different ways over the years. Why do we constantly need to be reminded to just be ourselves? Well, for my part, growing up in a nation who economic base is strengthened by convincing me that I need such-and-such an item in order to be fulfilled, a sense of inadequacy just seems to come with the territory. I am smart enough to know that nothing good comes from comparing me to another—but I find myself doing it time and time again. And that innate sense of incompleteness and “not-good-enough-ness” breeds self-criticism and self-doubt.

What kind of transformation might take place in our world if everyone relaxed and appreciated themselves for who they were created to be? What if we saw ourselves as gifts—simply by virtue of who we are? What if we celebrated our unique ordinariness? It may sound to some to be just too good to be true. Don’t I have to strive for some kind of higher level of awareness? Don’t I have to constantly work toward self-improvement? What if who I am isn’t very good?

Ah, but you are good. And that is the whole point. I’m confident that St. Francis de Sales did not mean that we should be the best corrupt and evil individuals that we could be. I’m sure he is speaking from the position that we are all created good and are meant to contribute to the good in this world.

What is freeing is the understanding that being ourselves is the way we bring goodness to this world. Instead of trying to find the right path, we are already on the right path. Instead of trying to become someone great, we already are someone great. There will never be another one like us in this entire universe! Whatever we choose to bring to the world is just what the world needs.

Marching forth-- just as I am!