Free To Be
Me
by Marie T.
Russell
 What a liberating thought — I am
free to be me! Think about it... for years you have been molded and pushed to
behave in certain 'acceptable' ways. You have been asked to adhere to tradition,
to behave according to certain accepted rules of behavior, and to dress
according to the norm. To act like the Jones. To make sure you didn't "paint
outside the lines".
You have done as you were told,
fearing punishment or worse, afraid of not being loved. You have accepted beliefs
that others held without question. You agreed with what others said about you --
you were smart, stupid, pretty, ugly, etc. You have believed that what others
thought was true of you had to be so — that others knew best -- that they were
smarter or wiser and somehow knew what was good for you.
Yet, if you look within, you know
that some of those accepted beliefs are not necessarily your truths. They are
the truths of those around you. For example as a child, you may have been told
that you were too noisy, or too playful. Now obviously, if you were behaving in
that fashion this was how you wanted to be -- that was the real you wanting to
express itself. When we were told that we were 'too' this or 'too' that, we felt
that our behavior must be incorrect and adapted ourselves to what was expected
of us... and thus lost our spontaneity and joy in the process.
Whose rules are we following now?
The ones imposed by our parents? And whose rules were they following? Their
parents? It goes back for many millennium and has nothing to do with us. Need
there be rules at all? If we all were true to our "inner self" or our "higher
self", rules would be unnecessary.
We all have an ingrained sense of right and
wrong, of what is loving and what is not, of what is "right" and what is not. It
is time to return to trusting ourselves -- to trusting that small inner voice,
that sense of true joy and spontaneity. We need to free up our true selves by
releasing them from the chains and rules of conduct that were imposed on us. We
are trustworthy! We can follow our inner wisdom and it will always support us
and guide us.
I am free to be me! This thought,
when affirmed regularly, brings freedom. Now the first thing you may notice, as
you tell yourself that you are free to be you, are certain fears, doubts, and
guilt coming up. I remember thinking that the 'me' that was inside was not a
'good' one — that I was selfish, unworthy, unlovable, etc. etc. When you look
inside yourself, you may discover some similar beliefs — that if you are truly
'yourself' you will be unacceptable to your boss, friends, mate, co-workers,
etc. Yet that is simply a figment of your imagination, of your fears, or of
someone else's fears.
The 'you' inside is that same
innocent, spontaneous child that you were — the one who was amazed at the beauty
of a dandelion flower, or that could find immense joy in splashing around in a
mud puddle — that playful being who enjoyed the present and did not concern
itself about "proper" and acceptable societal norms (i.e. dirty clothes, weeds
on the lawn, 'proper' attire and behavior, etc.). That spontaneous, natural, and
joyful person still resides inside of you. All you need to do is give it
permission to 'come out and play'.
We can now step forth from behind
our masks and take the risk to be real... to express our joys, our fears, our
insecurities, our love, our hopes, and our dreams. I am free to be me! I can
allow myself to be spontaneous. I can let myself be real and feel my feelings,
express the truth as I see it in the present moment, and let my love for life
radiate from my being, expressed in my thoughts, words, and
actions.
Trust yourself. You are an
innocent, joyful being. Within you are the seeds of joy, happiness, and success.
Affirm: "I am free to be me! I am free to express myself in whatever ways seem
loving and true to my inner being. I am free to be me and to create the world I
want around me. I have the right to express my inner divinity and to live a life
of love, joy, and creativity."
Trust your instincts. Trust that
small inner voice that guides you to the right, loving action. That small inner
voice is who you really are. That terrible person you have imagined yourself to
be is a machination of your imagination, fears, and self-doubts. Yes, you have
made mistakes... haven't we all? Yes, you had instances where you were unjust,
petty, and did not express loving or peaceful thoughts. Those are nothing more
than experiences that you went through -- errors in judgment. Your true inner
self is still an innocent, loving being -- an angel in physical form. That is
who you are. You can reclaim it now! You are free to be who you really are! A
divine child of the Universe...
Recommended book:
Be True to Yourself
by Helen Exley.
This little book is filled with 386 pages of quotations and
illustrations and comes in its own matching slipcase.
For more info or to order this book
 About The Author
Marie
T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also
produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from
1991-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and
well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own
inner source of joy and creativity.
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