From Perfectionism to Empowerment: Embrace Your Inner Sparkle

Storytime with Ruby

Have you ever experienced a week where the Universe seems to be sending you a constant, powerful message?  That's exactly how my week has been - a series of events and conversations with a singular, common theme.

If I were to distill the essence of this message from the Universe, it would be this:

Embrace who you are, and let that be perfect as is.
Only then can you be truly liberated to live.

Last week, Kate and I had an insightful conversation with Anna Vatuone, an entrepreneur, writer, and Personal Branding Expert, on the Self Study Podcast. She emphasized the importance of showing up authentically, both online and in real life. We often get caught up in the idea of adding value or being valuable to others, but what we forget is that our true value lies in being ourselves.

As Anna said, "You showing up as you is valuable."

This realization hit home for me. In my relationships, especially my marriage, I find myself constantly worrying if I am doing enough to be considered valuable. 

It's hard to fully accept that being myself is enough.

A few days ago, I started reading a book called "The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control," which is making me reevaluate my perfectionist tendencies. The author, Katherine Morgan Schafler, suggests that perfectionism is not something to recover from; it's a part of who we are. What if I could celebrate perfectionism as my superpower, using it to bridge the gap between the ideal and reality through my attention to detail, my innately intrinsic motivation, and the way I create meaningful connections?

What's your superpower? 

All these experiences culminated when I watched the Barbie movie with my sister. The primary theme of the movie was embracing your identity and recognizing your own value, regardless of how others define you.

As I reflect on these messages repeated to me this week, I'm realizing the joy in letting my whole self be enough. It's a work in progress, but I'm learning to embrace my true self, perfections and all.

You've probably heard Kate and I talk about our curriculum, the My Self Study Practice, which serves as a field guide for inner homing. It helps you build a home within yourself where you belong, rewiring neural pathways from self-doubt to unshakeable self-worth.

This recent part on my journey of self-discovery feels different this time - deeper, more embedded in my core. It's like I've finally sealed the windows of my metaphorical inner home to block out the chilling breeze of self-doubt and keep the warmth of self-worth inside.

Remember, embracing who you are is lifelong work. But with support from friends and professionals, like a Self Study Coach, we can go the distance together.

Here's to embracing our identities, celebrating our uniqueness, and liberating ourselves to truly live life to the fullest.

With peace, love, and a re-energized sense of inner sparkle,

Ruby