Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

There is a woman I have “known” for a couple of years now, yet finally decided to pursue to see if we could become friends rather than simply acquaintances. In speaking to this wonderful new friend today, Suzanne Taylor-King, we were both caught in the excitement of such similar interests throughout our very different backgrounds that we could each relate to. Sharing our “wild girl” stories with laughter, as well as our professional development ordeals and joys made it so easy to see a kindred soul. 

How often do you risk expanding your circle? How often do you risk putting yourself out there?

If you do, there is no place to go but up… If it works, what a great win. If it doesn’t, you exercised a muscle that is great to have. Because of the joy in the interaction, and the authenticity, we both could see the power of being fearless in the pursuit of our authentic selves. 

It brings out your best self plus what a gift you give yourself as well as those you interact with. When you choose authenticity, you give others permission to do the same. When you risk being vulnerable, you give others permission to do the same. Whatever you choose to bring to a conversation sets the stage. Think of the power… You can create a fear-filled experience, a joy-filled experience, one of gratitude, one of exploration and outrageousness, or conversely, you can bring one governed by “shoulds” competition or overwhelm. 

The power we possess to call ourselves and others to a place of authenticity versus artificial expectation and “shoulds” is enormous. We become role models, teachers, and guides in a split second, in every conversation we have, consciously or otherwise. How are you leading yours? Whether with the check-out girl or guy, with a vendor, or with a loved one, the power to direct the conversation is always in your hands. Are you choosing to use it? 

In a fearless pursuit of your authentic self, you have no choice but to own who you truly are and who it is you are choosing to become. Every theoretical obstacle becomes permission to stop or simply a life lesson on the way to your full self.  Jennifer Lopez’s new song “On My Way to You” is in reference to a life partner, what if it also applied to your relationship with yourself, and the one you bring to all you meet? On my way to my more fully authentic and recognized self… What a blessing to live a life where becoming who we are meant to be is the goal. 

We have never walked alone, we have never been lost, simply taking detours on our way to ourselves, to our authentic, passion-filled, joy-filled, and faith-filled selves….. How can we not love the journey we are blessed to walk? As we pray for all those in Ukraine, for all those being challenged in ways we may never know, we offer prayers as well as hands-on help, where possible, to bring peace to all we meet and certainly to bring our fearless pursuit in authenticity. Think of the permission we give to those “others” to be open, honest, and vulnerable if we only give of ourselves in the most vulnerable of ways.

Wishing you the best and most vulnerable of weeks,

Dr. Dorothy