Who am I?

Sometimes I sit here and wonder who I am. Sounds odd, I know, I have lived with myself for a while now, I should know who I am. But sometimes I feel like I know so little about who I am. Sure, I know that I like cheese, and I go to school and spend too much time online. Yes, I know all that stuff. But who am I inside, deep down? What do I want? What do I believe? Do others know who I am? What makes me who I am? I have come to realize that I am a contradiction, and it bugs me, and yet it is refreshing also. 

Is it possible to be both sarcastic and yet incredibly deep at the same time? Can I be fun and grounded? Blond and smart? Dedicated and spontaneous? Silly and serious? It seems ridiculous, doesn't it? I mean of course we as humans are multi-faceted beings. The answer should be a resounding "YES!" To all of the above. But I still wonder. Why is it that I can be completely sarcastic and jaded one moment, and serious and focused the next? Does 'who I am' change based off of who I'm around? Is that a bad thing? 

This next stage of figuring out who I am is confusing. I don't know the answers... and I want to. I think part of what bothers me so much is that I'm not sure that I completely understand myself, which, in turn means that there is no way that others understand me. Sure, we can 'get' people to an extent, but can we ever be completely understood by someone else? Do I understand anyone else that walks this earth? Do I know and accept and love and appreciate all that they are and are not? Maybe we aren't supposed to understand each other completely. Maybe it is a bit of a mystery and it always will be until we are called home. 

I feel like around certain people I can be funny and silly and sarcastic, and around others I am more serious and focused and elegant. Why is that? It makes sense, in a way. Different situations call for different behavior, but how I want people to see who I am... in all reality. I, just like everyone, have many facets. I am not simply this or that. I cross the boxes that we are assigned to so often. I am not just "emotional" or just "silly" or just "serious" or just "weird." I am all of the above, and that is ok. Why do I try to put myself into the boxes that I feel so confined by?

I wish so much that we could rid ourselves of the boxes that we place ourselves and others in, and just understand how layered and diverse a single person is. It is a beautiful thing to be so diverse, and yet it feels so odd to be a complete contradiction of myself.

The Present

As one chapter of my life is coming to a close soon, and another one is starting, I realize how important the here and now is. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the past or the future, but the present is the only thing that we can control.

I am learning this. And I am beginning to see the joy in the moment. What a relief! As cliche as it sounds, the old saying is true: 'Today is a gift. That is why it's called the present.' There is always something to learn, to appreciate or to gain from the present. We don't get a do-over. I hope to make the best of it. :)

Without further ado, here are some shots from  this beautiful day!

This one thing

There is this odd dynamic that has made itself present in my life recently. For so long I have prayed and longed to be able to be confident in who I am, and not to put so much stock in what others think. I have finally, over the last few months seen things changing. Slowly, this shift has taken place, and I am able to walk into a room, and feel comfortable with who I am, not worrying too much about others' opinions. It is great, and yet, maybe not so great at the same time. It seems like with many changes that we wish to see take place in our lives, there is a downside to it. I struggle with balancing self esteem and self confidence with being understanding and sensitive. Very easily, one extreme or the other can creep in, changing everything.

I do think that many people, including myself spend much too much time worrying about what other people think of them. It is innately human to want to be accepted, and yet the other end of the spectrum is not caring at all what people think, which is, in itself a huge pitfall. This causes insensitivity and arrogance; trampling on those who we once were so careful to protect. 

I have found myself to be exhausted and tired lately. Not only physically tired, but mentally and emotionally tired as well. I have no doubt as to why this is, but I dislike it. It seems as though being exhausted, in whatever sense of the word, always causes carelessness. And carelessness causes hurt. So I can't say with any assurance whether this 'new found' confidence is because of an actual change in me for the better, or because of exhaustion. Either one is plausible, and yet they are as far apart on the spectrum as is possible. And I don't want to have 'confidence' if it is just manifesting itself from a careless attitude. 

Not putting too much stock in what others think is one thing,

being insensitive and uncaring because of exhaustion is another. 

I pray that this 'confidence' may not come from exhaustion or from an attitude that is uncaring, but from knowing who I am to the One who who created me. Because it makes all the difference.