In the past five years I’ve sat in a lot of silence. I would call it an era of unusual solitude. It was first precipitated by the pandemic, and continued as I rebuilt my life in new surroundings.
It has been a reflective time, centered around reclaiming my energy and restoring my essence. I refocused my actions towards the things that bring me the most happiness and satisfaction. It has not been particularly sad or unsettling; just more mindful and pensive.
It took some time to lay a solid foundation that can hold the weight of my world into the next chapters of life. I wanted to leave room for whatever would form in the space I created, and I didn’t really care how long it would take. I had to strip it all down and build it back up.
This process has been about showing up or myself authentically and unapologetically. I think with the passage of time, and by the very nature of getting older, we shed a lot of skin, and become more and more comfortable with who we are.
I have noticed a lot of stories about Pamela Anderson lately. She seems to have shed some skin of her own, and the weight of other people’s expectations. She is showing up in a powerful way—as a glowing natural version of herself. I am not sure why there is so much focus on a woman choosing to wear less makeup, but perhaps it runs deeper. There is no doubt it is a stark contrast to the bombshell persona that made her famous. Maybe she had to release that for people to really see her.
I have never felt a particular affinity towards her, but at this stage of life I can relate to her choice to lay herself bare. I definitely feel her internal peace and beauty matches her external radiance, and I like that the narrative is about authenticity being attractive.
Once we reach a certain age, or a certain level of internal enlightenment, the light we find inside naturally shines outward.
After my time of great reflection, I don’t feel the urge to change or prove anything to others. I show up for myself first, and that allows me to put the best version of myself out into the world. I can honestly say this is the best I’ve ever been. I can step forward with confidence, radiance, and clarity.
Everyone’s journey is unique, and it is no one else’s business what that looks like. When we strip it all down, we can be who we are meant to be.
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