I Choose.

Searching for who I am in a world that tells me my value is in what I have or can produce.

But, I don't want to be an empty vessel or a robot.

I want to know who I am, the essence of me. 

I want to live authentically, from the inside-out, rather than the outside-in.

The knowledge of this paradox forces me to ask questions like: 

Can I find out who I am without knowing details of the story of those who came before me?

Where I come from, talking about the past is a sign of weakness, or worse, betrayal of the present.

So if I have to rely on the memory of another in order to find my identity,

My highest self will forever stay tucked away in the prison of their denial. 

So, I come to a crossroads.

Do I try to find my identity in things outside of me?

Or do I dare to be courageous and begin the journey through my soul?

I choose the latter. 

Bravely uncovering every truth about my humanity, previously calcified under the hard rock of lies.

I choose, to believe that I am beautiful and wonderfully complex beneath the surface. 

I choose, to ride the waves of my pain until I reach the shores of grace.

Then, I wait.

I wait to encounter an overwhelming love that must come from within.

In this place, I finally see that there is no division between me and the outside world,

Only the illusion of separations existence. 

So once again, I choose. 

I choose to make the journey back to the outside, where I will shine different than before. 

My light and beauty will no longer be masked with the pain of my past.

Instead, I choose to exemplify love,

and to reignite the true love in you.