Day 2: Authentic

There is such an onslaught of information each and every day that it can be difficult to wade through everyone else's opinions to reach our own truth.  Would we want to wear that coat if we hadn't just seen it on the back of someone attractive on Instagram?  Would we still want to get that graduate degree if we had never heard our parents' own aspirations for our career?  Would we show up to that fitness class if none of our friends were going to be there?  Would we vote for this person if we had never heard someone else's opinion favoring them? It's always useful to check in from time to time and ensure that we are living our lives from our own sense of what is valuable and important, instead of being led around by others all of the time.  

Affirmation

I vow to take time today to reflect on what my daily life says about me and what I value and love.  Where my daily actions do not line up with my highest vision for myself, I will begin the process of parting from those actions and replacing them with ones that speak to my truest ideals.  Today, I'll take a moment to reflect on my ancestry and family lineage and consider the myriad ways in which the experiences of those people have impacted my own.  I will also acknowledge how family lineage impacts others, understanding that perceived "flaws" may have their root in such legacies.  The friend we secretly judge as "cheap" may be influenced by her Depression era relatives.  The love who is not emotionally available may be influenced by the premature severance of his or her parent's partnership.  I will also acknowledge the messages that I receive from my present environment about who I should be as a friend, lover, partner, coworker, parent, steward, boss, employee, member or any of the other roles that may occupy my life.  I vow to be attentive to the voice inside of me that will tell me when these messages do not ring true with who I actually am or what I am intended to do while on this Earth.