Unlearning Survival

Looking back on my life, I can see the many ways I compromised and diminished myself – my integrity, my beliefs, my wellbeing, and my potential. For example, I:

• Played small to be more approachable or understandable

• Acted out of fear and scarcity rather than curiosity and abundance

• Wrote in reaction to people’s objections rather than in response to their dreams

Now that I’m approaching 50, I realize how these little infractions have quietly etched away at my spirit and dulled all of the beauty and joy I desire to create in the world.

To live a truly authentic life, fully aligned to who I am and asire to be, I now practice things like:

• Boldly sharing my ideas, even when it may be misunderstood or unpopular

• Choosing discomfort over complacency in pursuit of deep learning and meaningful connection

• Creating and connecting from a place of generous love, hopefulness, and possibility

• Showing up fully, without hiding or shrinking

• Meeting people where they are while also offering multiple pathways to new ways of thinking, dreaming, being, and doing

It’s a continuous process of unlearning, of resisting the ways I’ve been conditioned to survive rather than thrive. I know I’ll make mistakes. But I’ll also learn from them—and I’ll keep showing up, practicing, and growing.

This is how I move more fully into myself—as a writer, a leader, and a changemaker—living and creating from a place of integrity that reflects my truth.