It is easy to buy into the belief that we are not okay. That how we look and feel or what we do or say is not enough, or, perhaps too much.

That we need more – things, titles, money, accolates, to have value in this world.

Excuse my English — but it’s all bullsh*t.

We are enough. Just the way we are.

We are each of us a unique, magnificent human being. Of the 8 billion people on this planet there is not one other person with my or your DNA nor exact same fingerprint.

So why do we spend so much time wanting to be like someone else? Wanting to measure up to someone else’s standards even when their measuring stick is too tall, far away, wide, invisible?

On Wednesday at noon when trainees walk into the Discovery Seminars training room, they carry with them fears and apprehensions about what happens next, will they be safe? Will they ‘get it’? Will there be something here for them or will they, like they always do, just not fit in?

They sit, shoulder to shoulder, with other trainees, their minds racing. Some are wondering if they can sneak out the doors before they close and never come back. Some want to curl up into a little ball and pretend no one can see them. Others might want to jump up and say “Let’s get this show on the road! I got places to be and places to go. I ain’t got time for feelings. I only want action”

Others might simply want the facilitators and coaches to give them answers so that they can get on with living and not feel so… lost, alone, broken, confused – or a host of other feelings they are trying to stuff down that cause them to cry when anyone looks at them or yell when those they love don’t do what they say, or stay silent no matter how desperately they want to be heard.

No matter what trainees are feeling or thinking when they walk in that door, they all share one thing — they have all had the courage to walk into the unknown.

Because no matter how much we think we know about ourselves, or how positive we are that we’ve ‘worked through our stuff and are A-OK’ sitting in that room on the first day of seminar is an open invitation for each person to step into ‘the great unknown’

Not just the unknown of what happens next in the room, but also, the great unknown of what will I find when I take a deep dive into my fears, dreams, wishes, wants, needs, goals, unspoken hesitations and start to explore the question of who am I or what could change in my life if I chose to Live Life Large!

We all have dreams. We all have fears and hurts, losses and bruises. We all have had moments where we’ve felt proud of ourselves, and moments (sometimes many more than the moments of feeling proud) where we feel ashamed of who we are and what we’ve done to hurt others, and ourselves. We all carry pockets of unforgiveness, regret, doubt, uncertainty.

And we all carry the very human desire to want to feel like we belong, that we are not alone, that we have value and our lives have meaning. And in that finding meaning, we all dream of being seen, accepted, acknowledged and loved.

I walked back into the seminar room this past week after a long hiatus.

I am grateful.

In the safe courageous space I found many gifts waiting for me to explore.

And within that exploration I realized I’d started to ‘play small’. I’d started to let go of things I know nourish, nurture and sustain my light.

It’s time to reclaim my right to stand in the light of my own brilliance, my own dreams and desires, wants and needs and know, I don’t need to be anyone else but me. I am beautifully perfect, just the way I am – I am uniquely me.

Being uniquely me, I get to shine as bright as I can so that it can become part of lighting up the world so that everyone can see through the dark.

Namaste