"Most of us, myself included, live behind walls that were started by others and finished by ourselves. What I've learned is that the more I risk being who I am -- like a sun daring to shine -- the thinner the walls need to be outside me." Mark Nepo
Most of us do live behind walls and do not let the full force of our being shine out to others. A dear friend told me that he read of Marlon Brando that he could decide to fully shine or not. For instance, if he wanted to shine forth as fully himself, others would recognize him and approach him. But, conversely, it was said that Brando could also dim himself down so that he was able to be in public and others did not notice him. There is a lesson in there for us. Too often our family of origin or the public school experience teach us to dim down the fullness of who we are, and there may be times or situations when we are safer to do so. But, it is also regrettable. Perhaps one of the reasons it is so healing to be with a baby is that the baby is fully shining herself or himself. No one has shamed him or her out of that yet. It is a risk to be fully who we are. Some people will reject us. But. It is imperative in being true to ourselves that we decide when and where to shine, and that we do not hide out of habit -- or to please others.
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