TAKE THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW YOURSELF AGAIN...OR FOR THE FIRST TIME.

I hope the rest of this December is the month you take the time to get to know yourself again...or for the first time.

Because even if you can recall a million little details about your life and everything that has led you to this point, this remains true: there is more to you. And it matters to spend time getting to know the you at the root...the you that extends beyond the ways you've already bloomed.

Because chances are, you’ve already bloomed in some way by learning how to follow a set of rules or expectations. You've already learned how to jump into action and be present in order to help others and get things done. And here's the thing: those ways you've learned to bloom can lead to a lot of good. You've learned to pay attention to others. You've figured out how to be a good friend. You've figured out how to be the family member who does the inner work. As a member of your community, you've learned to shine brightly and bloom. You've learned how to get things done.

But sometimes all of the ways you've learned to bloom have come at the expense of your ability to just be you...to just let some part of you bloom and come alive as a wildflower in a field who has no expectation to bloom a certain way; like a chosen flower for a perfectly manicured garden.

Perhaps you have a part of you that wants to explore just for the sake of exploring. Or maybe you want to be a part of something without always having to be the one to start it. Perhaps there's a part of you that just wants to fall in love without fear, to dream big without worrying that you will be judged as selfish or childish.

In the same way that wildflowers grow in the most unexpected places, parts of you want to come alive in the most unexpected ways. And it is important to take the time to get to know those parts of yourself...the parts of yourself that may have been eagerly waiting for some attention.

So here's to taking the time to get to know yourself again...or for the first time. Here's to taking the time to let some part of yourself bloom in an unexpected way...even if it takes some time to find your rhythm. Because, while you may have already bloomed in some ways, there is more to you, and it is important to continue to invest time in getting to know yourself. And maybe this process will lead to the kind of life where you can look back and see how you grew in authenticity and courage day by day.

More in this week's series called "Embracing Authenticity", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.

More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols