Becoming Self
What's on my mind this week . . .
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ~~Carl Jung
The weather may not reflect it but, here in the Northeastern United States, we are getting ready to enter the summer season later this month. It’s a rare year when I don’t turn on my air conditioner until sometime in June. And 2025 is proving to be a rare year indeed.
As I look at my life, I see a journey, not so much of transformation but of evolution. My sense is that aspects of self that are true to my soul-self deepen and those that are not, shift and fade. Personal growth, to me, is a cyclical process, one that takes me forward not in a straight line but in a repeated process of awareness and reflection.
And that is the mysterious part of personal growth. I meet myself over and over again seemingly at the same point, facing the same challenges. Sometimes these challenges have to do with others’ perceptions of who I am (even perhaps of who I should be). Sometimes these challenges have to do with my own perceptions of who I am (even perhaps of who I should be). What I have learned is that each new awareness brings me closer to who I truly am. Like the woman painting in the photo above, I am continually touching up my self-identity - adding some new wrinkles of laughter, gently revealing old tracks of tears, softening edges of a younger, firmer jaw - falling in love with the minute details that are part of all that I am.
I think of the ages of my life as layers. As I peel one off, new skin emerges. With each year, I get closer to the core of my soul self. That is one of the absolutely beautiful gifts of aging. Age brings wisdom and, if I allow it, the grace to peel the layers until what is essential is seen. It’s an inward journey, not an outward one. The answers must be found within. Perhaps not easy but so gratifying and liberating.
As I do this, I allow different layers of self to emerge gently. Being gentle with myself when in a process of evolution helps keep me grounded. And I am reminded that this journey asks me to notice when I am people-pleasing, to notice when I’m worrying about meeting others' expectations and to pause and allow time to get to know what I truly want. I see it as a journey of self-love, one that comes from feeling safe within myself and in allowing that self to be seen by others.
What about you? I invite you this week to consider the layers of the changes you are seeing in yourself and in the world around you. Hopefully, there will be moments of awareness that enlighten your understanding of the spiritual nature of self. Whatever layers are getting ready to slough off, remember to be patient with yourself. Be gentle. Be kind. In the coming season of summer, visualize your self as a flower opening - what new colors will you bring forth? Trust that it will be safe to be seen.
June is Pride Month - I’m sending love and light to a community showing all of us what it means to demonstrate the beauty of becoming who they truly are.
With love,
Cathleen
What a beautiful post! Thank you... and I resonate deeply with all you express here. The gentle sloughing off of old identities, expectations and projections, and the steady sense of living wisdom emerging. Yes, this is the gift of aging, if we can surrender, shed and allow the sweet revealing of our Selves to appear. Thank you again!
Cathleen, your reflections on personal growth and self-love are beautifully resonant. Thank you for sharing such gentle wisdom here. Your words inspire deep introspection and kindness, towards myself and others.
This week, my own reflections carry a sense of lightness and excitement as I steadily inch towards my retirement at the end of next year. In the words and wisdom of Connie Zweig, as I slowly transition from 'role to soul'.