Often I come across a word – or a phrase – that resonates with me. I will make a note of it – but can’t always remember where – or when I came across it.

Then – suddenly it comes back to mind – and I decide to explore it further.

One such phrase is this – “Real freedom starts from the moment a person remembers who they were – before anyone told them who to be”

Or -to ask the question – often attributed to Charles Bukowski –

“Can you remember who you were – before the world told you who you should be”.

I find this to be very interesting – and thought provoking – causing me to recognise that there is a truth in this – in my own life.

I can see how – over the past few years – I have been doing exactly that – seeking to remember who I am – to separate myself from who I have been – so often living in the shadow of the expectations of how others thought I should be.

On my journey – I have recognised the truth of this sentence – “To remember who you are – you need to forget what they told you to be”

This of course can be quite a challenge.

Finding myself – or – to put it another way – discovering who I truly am – underneath all my past – has been very liberating – and exciting.

I have experienced a freedom that I never quite knew before – which is interesting – as I would always have described myself as ‘free’ – not recognising that I was restricted – by the very things I had been told about myself.

There’s a sense in which – I had felt I always had to strive – to be a – ‘better me’ – instead of being able to accept – and love who I actually was. I began to seek to ‘get to know myself’ – in a new way.

To walk away from restrictions – to free myself from the opinions of others – and allow myself to be real – to become who I truly am – and to find acceptance in that.

I love these words – “It’s beautiful – when someone can accept me for who I am – instead of trying to make me what they want me to be”.

And that is so true – and makes me grateful – for those in my life – from whom I get no judgement – just unconditional acceptance. Those who – although they may not agree with my decisions – continue to love me – for who I am.

It’s important to me – that I continue to ‘find myself’ – to discover more and more – who I was – before anyone told me who I should be.

That for me is true freedom – and so I choose – each day – to be free – following this advice – that speaks to me –

“Be free – Free to choose – Free to be you – Free to follow your heart – free to live your dreams – there is no greater freedom – than being truly you”

Blessings – Lois