Monday Mantra: Be You

"When you don't show up as who you are, people fall in love with who you aren't."

-- Iyanla Vanzant

Oh, my lovelies. If that isn't the truth, I don't know what is!

Right now as I process so much of my past after losing my brother, I am constantly reminded of how easy it is to be trapped in the story we create for ourselves because we are afraid of  becoming and existing in the greatness of our true self. Of all the fears we conjure and rely upon, living in the greatness and overcoming the lies of inadequacy (because after all, we are not inadequate) is far more scary than the blame game ... or the fear factor.

Who would you be if you took away all of the limitations you put on yourself? Do you not feel the warmth of the light that shines when you close your eyes and put yourself in that mind space? That space where you know without a shadow of a doubt that who you are is limitless.

I urge you to live within that vision this week. To tell the truth about yourself to those you encounter. To not apologize for who you are.

For me, that means getting up each morning knowing that what I do each workday serves as a vehicle toward my goals, my vision. I recently said that I am driving a proverbial energy-efficient vehicle so that I can use the energy saved towards what I ultimately know I was put on this earth to do. And that is, to use my voice. I use my voice here as I write, as I prepare for my work on stage, when I perform, as I contemplate my next CD, as I work on the outline for my book. However, I am learning that when I am not doing those things, I must embody that vision in all that I do. Because when I do not, I am not living my truth. And that's a quick ride to Scary Town when we turn away from our truth.

Shed the limitations. Feel the power within you. And remember, who you are is revolutionary. I promise you that. If you can put yourself in that mind space every morning this week, your life's-a-gonna-change, lovelies. Because after all, the Universe says yes - so allow it to say yes to your truth.

xx JN