07. Free To Be You and Me
Being who we are takes a lot of pressure off of us to be someone we're not. Join me today as we talk about the wonder of authenticity and the joy of living and walking in that true -- and rare -- freedom.
Episode Transcript
0:05
Hi, this is Donna Wyland. Welcome to this Freetobe Podcast Season One, Episode Seven , titled Free To Be You and Me.
0:16
I've been up and I've been down and lately, I'm not sure which direction I'm heading in the midst of the crazy that is a present-day world.
0:24
Some days I feel positive and productive. And the work that gets done in my home and at my writing desk astounds me. Other days, I feel like I'm auditioning for a role in a zombie movie. Not that I know anything about those, because I don't watch them. On those days, though, it takes all of my energy just to do a load of laundry, catch up on email, or binge-watch a few episodes of Chesapeake Shores. Why does that happen? How can we experience such different moods day today? And how can we stay on the positive side of crazy?
0:58
I can attest from personal experience that comparing myself with anyone else is a surefire way to feel lost, empty, and less than. Maybe we were born with a gene that compels us to want what others have. I know I see people in the writing industry who seem to have it all together. And I wish I could be like that. But the truth is, I'm not. And that's okay.
1:26
I'm someone my friends would describe as spontaneous, yet scheduled. Humorous, yet anxiety prone. And honest, yet guarded, thanks to past relationships with people who were less than honest with me. I think we all have a little bit of everyone inside of us.
1:46
Whether or not we learn to accept who we are, and become comfortable being who God created us to be, seems to hinge on whether or not we learn to see ourselves through the eyes of God. Early in my faith walk, I read a quote that said, "God doesn't make junk." And I've never forgotten it.
2:05
No matter how don't I get on myself for failing somehow, to live up to the unrealistic expectations I have yet again set for myself. As a middle child, I yearn to be seen and appreciated, and rewarded for the good things I do. That is, however, not a general rule that many people live by. Bad things do happen to good people. But good things happen too. Especially when we embrace who we really are, and begin to walk in authenticity and joy.
2:38
Three things that helped me find and cling to who I really am, are the Uniquely You Personality Profile at uniquelyyou.org that helped me discover my strengths, my uniqueness, and my spiritual gifting. Second be Abide App, daily meditations, that call my heart and mind and draw me close to God. And third, the Bible, the Word of God, in which I read and you will read over and over how loved we are by God. Great friends and family members who love us just the way we are obviously encourage authenticity as well. And help us work through the days when we question our value and purpose in life.
3:26
The Bible says we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. That means we need to be who we really are. So we could fulfill the purpose God uniquely prepared us to do. Being who we are takes a lot of pressure off of us to be someone we're not. And I for one am grateful to be able to reduce as much stress and pressure as possible.
3:58
Take some time today to recall who you were as a child. What were you doing when minutes turned into hours and you were lost in something you felt passionate about? How do you invest in that passion today? And how has God used your passions to bless and encourage others?
4:18
Make no mistake, God loves to watch his children living and working and walking out the dreams and passions he placed inside us before we were born. That's a true and rare freedom. Being free to be who we are, who we were created to be.
4:41
Thank you for joining me today on this episode of the Freetobe Podcast. I look forward to being with you again.