permission to be yourself…

This week on the Megaphone Podcast, Jen and I got pretty fired up…and for good reason! I know you’ll feel me on this, so please feel free to elevate your blood pressure and join me up here in I-WON’T-STAND-FOR-THIS-ONE-MORE-MINUTE Land.

Ya with me? Ok, cool. Jen came across a video on social media, which is too graphic for me to actually recommend that you watch. But it’s out there. It’s called Be a Lady, They Said…which just happens to be the name of our podcast episode as well.

Here’s the full, unedited (read: there are some Rated R words in here) transcript.

Here’s the gist of it. The world is super loud, and has conflicting opinions. All day long, we’re getting shouted at to be everything and nothing. Sexy. Modest. Sporty. Sleek. Trendy. Classic. Slim down. Eat up. Speak your mind. Why are you so bossy? Stay home with your kids. Oh, you don’t work?

And on and on and on it goes until we’re curled up in the fetal position in the closet. Loud. Noise. With no real truth. No accurate barometer of success.

It’s so loud, you guys! And I hate noise. And I hate even more not being able to be everything to everyone and look exactly how each individual person would want me to look and talk and act and speak and not speak and not act and not look. I’m a people-pleaser.

And I know you understand this dilemma. You’ve been living it for years. All women have.

So let’s get right down to the solution, which is giving ourselves permission to turn down the volume. The world is loud. Too loud. Imagine yourself right now, turning down the volume knob. We may not always be able to press MUTE, but we can certainly lower the volume as best we can.

And then, we can tune in to the still, small voice of the One whose opinion matters. Whose voice is quiet and gentle. Who never contradicts Himself. Who doesn’t want you to be anything other than who He designed you to be. You’re His girl. And He loves you. And He cares about the state of your heart and mind — always.

His heart breaks when we cannot stop ourselves from pleasing others and proving ourselves worthy. We already are worthy. You already are worthy. To be seen. Known. Loved.

So today, as you turn down the volume knob, choose to be yourself. Your best. And not in a striving, perform-perform-perform way. Like in a restful, deeply-rooted way. In an I-know-who-I-am way. In an I-know-who-God-is way. In an I-know-who-God-says-I-am way. In those ways.

Let’s navigate these waters together. Let’s rally. Let’s speak truth. Over and over and over.

If you wanna take a deep dive on this topic — listen to the podcast. Or watch it on YouTube. And then let’s talk.

Love you, dear friend!