“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” (Dr. Suess)
It may seem that being you is a given. But for me it has often been a crazy idea. It took me about forty years to discover who I really wanted to be. And I’m still learning.
For many years, I defined myself through what I perceived to be other’s expectations and opinions about me. I evaluated myself based on my accomplishments and achievements. I wanted to get it right. I poured myself into the various relationships that I was blessed to enjoy, as wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I pursued various opportunities to teach and help others. But I often felt tired and struggled with feelings of doubt and despair. (And I still do sometimes.)
But about the time our sons were finishing up high school, a good friend asked me what I wanted from life. She reminded me how Jesus provided for the hungry people with two fish and some leftover bread. She gave me pieces of paper cut out in the shape of fish, and asked me to write what I needed on them. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote down, but going to college was on my radar. (We were sitting on a bench at St. Charles Community college near the lake with a fountain.) Little did I know, that soon I would be attending classes there to pursue my life long dream of going to college.
The crazy idea that I could go to college as an adult was the turning point of learning how to be me, and a growing desire to help others embrace and discover their created selves. That crazy idea of going to school took me on many amazing adventures, and gave me the courage to pursue unfulfilled dreams that I had never even entertained before that decision.
I’ll share more of the ways those crazy ideas came to be in my life over the years, as this series unfolds. Today, I’d like to leave you with a few crazy ideas to encourage YOU to be YOU.
Try writing a “to-be” list, rather than the typical “to-do” list. I have found writing the “to-be” list informs what I do.
Also a few years back, after I graduated from college, I started a journey with keeping an art journal. I designed a series called 27 weeks of Being YOU. It’s a combination of journal prompts and creative ways to express yourself and discover more of what it means to BE YOU.
And lastly, I’d like to introduce you to three bloggers, who I believe live out their crazy ideas with authenticity and joy:
I met these three friends through the blogging community, and count them as kindred spirits in this adventure of fulfilling our dreams by encouraging others to BE!
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16 ESV)
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16 ESV)
souldare 
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