Being Who You Are Is Not Always Easy

“Who are you talking to?” he asked, interrupting me mid-sentence.   

“You.” I said timidly, knowing it had been years since I spoke to him with such confidence and sense of authority. 

A confidence and sense of authority I had lost, or more accurately hidden, during our 7 years together.  

“Do you talk like that to people at work?”

“Yes”, straightening my back and standing taller as I said the word.  

“Men?  And they listen to you?” 

Houston, we have a problem.  

Looking back, I realize that while his words reflected his view of the world, his disbelief was directly correlated with who I had become.  

Who I let him believe I was.  

I had become a woman who did not voice her opinion, especially if it was contrary to others.  

Rarely did I stand confidently and speak with authority.  

I avoided conflict, disagreement, and disapproval whenever possible. 

It was so much easier that way.

Until, after being home with babies for a few years, I went back to work full-time.  

At work, I voiced my opinions, made authoritative decisions, negotiated solutions, and resolved conflicts.  

At work, my opinion was valued and respected as was my confidence and authority.  By men. And women.

And it felt good.  

It was exactly what I needed.  

A wonderful reminder of who I really was.  

It isn’t always easy to be who you are.

It is, however, so much easier than living a life trying to be who you are not.  

If you need help rediscovering who you really are, I can help.