This morning, I was punched in the face. And, it couldn’t have been more needed.

“If I embrace who I am, it will open doors, not shut them”

Punch. In. Face.

For me, hearing that line almost made me kick myself (violent Sunday morning, I know). Reason being; that’s nowhere near a new idea or something I haven’t thought about. And yet, it had never resonated with me before in the way that it did hearing it in that context.

The truth is, deep down, we all know who we really are. Some of us celebrate it, some of us are ashamed of it and some of us are simply ignorant, ignore it or push it down; often filling it with the “idea” of who we think we should be.

For most of us, the fear behind the real You is the perceived consequence that comes with it. It’s the apprehension surrounding being honest about who you are right at this moment; which may not be who you were yesterday or last year and may not be who you’ll be tomorrow or next month. There’s a nervousness that the real version of you won’t be accepted. Or maybe not even accepted, but at the least, limit your opportunities or ability for whatever your idea of success is.

It’s often not thought that opening up about who we are, or creating a greater self-awareness, or setting boundaries for our personal self; will result in a more evolved position than the one we are currently in. I’m careful not to say, a “more positive” position, because it’s all a matter of perspective. At least, on the surface, it’s a matter of perspective. Truthfully, embracing who you are will always lead to a more evolved, positive position than the one you are currently in. It’s just that you might have to navigate through some shit to get there. Which is another, almost assured, product of embracing who you are; conflict.

Growth, evolution, enlightenment; all come with conflict. Whether “conflict” is a ‘four-letter word’ to you is your decision. In the absence of leading a completely sedentary mental and emotional existence; becoming friends with conflict is a pre-requisite. And, possibly, you may even desire its presence in your life. Embracing who you really are will create conflict in a number of arenas; it’s unavoidable. But, it’s a great thing! It’s what will challenge you to expand your awareness about what the hell you’re doing every day and who you’re doing it with.

If you’ve plateau-ed in your workout or your job or how well you can write, becoming aware of and embracing that will only help you. If you’re an asshole, becoming aware of and embracing that will only help you. If you’re no longer growing in whatever relationship you’re in, becoming aware of and embracing that will only help you. Invariably, it will all come with conflict. The shift from conflict as negative to conflict as positive is in your decision-making power. Really, conflict is simply defined as a disagreement or a difference of opinion or position. It doesn’t have to be a rage fuelled death match. It’s a growth opportunity.

Being honest with yourself, about your station in life, will open those doors to you about where you need to go. Being self-aware of how you treat yourself and others will open those doors to you about being less of an asshole. Respecting what your Heart needs from the people you surround yourself will only increase its capacity for more Love. But, the common denominator is to embrace who you really are. It’s to have faith in the challenge that whatever conflict comes from it, your world will only expand, never contract.

“If your faith won’t fit in the door that opens, then, I argue, do not walk through that door” –DeVon Franklin

Be Love.

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