"Just be yourself."

I've heard that line a thousand times

Which self? The one that gets me admiration and respect,

or the one who swings between lows and elation,

who enjoys contemplation and an honest introspect?

We're all so complex and beautiful, multifaceted and colorful

Like a diamond, we each take in the same light,

yet shine it out in our unique delight

I do declare: We are allowed to be whole beings.

That means if you're having a difficult experience, I won't shun you or fear

your delirious expressions

Because as soon as you let it out, you're free

And inadvertently, you also give me permission to be me

The wounds and the scars

The glow and the dark

The peaks and the valleys

Helping to carry another's load makes you stronger down the road

Shame is a funny thing-- but you won't be laughing

When you're scared that the sum total of who you are & what you've bared

is somehow unlovable.

We've all felt this anxiety... but beyond the rules and the piety, pain is how we connect.

Believe it or not.

Triumphs and successes can bond us, sure.

But the ones you're really fond of

They've seen the things about you that are impure-- the stains and the blurs...

Relax. They still really like you-- even if, sometimes, you might not like you.

The part of you that judges the other part of you that knows who it is when it's really happy.

The latter is YOU. The former is your former self. Learn from it, and let it go.

Integrity always comes through. Feed it, and it will grow.

You belong here—wherever you are

There's nothing you've been through that someone, somewhere doesn't understand.

It's not a contradiction. It's part of The Plan.