Genuinely Me

My daughter auditioned at a new theater and the energy was different. The kids seemed very serious and came prepared with their iPhones to play the music track and their decorated 3-ring binder with an 8x10 photo resume.

I came with a plain 4x6 photo I printed at CVS and an old iPad barely able to keep a full charge. I felt embarrassed and out of place.

A familiar feeling of the first day of school. Fresh off the farm, wearing second-hand clothes with a lunch card only the poor kids kept in their wallets. I remember that feeling well.

I’ve never been like “everyone else.” From as long as I can remember, I felt different and it became a limiting belief for a really long time.

After texting a friend, my phone died and I was forced to sit in quiet and feel my feelings.

What would I want my daughter to know that I didn’t know back then?

We do not need to possess anything for us to have value. Being our authentic selves and having the ability to be present and show up fully is where we shine the brightest. Having a genuine connection with others is way more valuable than the car we drive or the resume we carry in our binder.

What people need the most is to be seen. To be heard. To be loved. My whole life has been about me coming home to myself and it’s here in this place that I’m the happiest and able to be in service to others.

I may be a little on the outskirts of mainstream, but I love the life I’ve created, I’m proud of the person I’ve become, and I love that I get to show up for others and be present to their experience. That sort of connection is invaluable and would not have been possible had I chosen to “fit in” instead of just being myself.

The best part, I was the only one who felt insecure about not having the perfect photo resume to showcase. My daughter was completely fine and in her power. She performed beautifully because she genuinely loves theater.

And more importantly, she felt safe to be herself. Something that took me 50 years.

When I’m genuinely me and you are genuinely you, we are in the same place. And that is beautiful, my friends.

Xx,
​BeAnne

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