🌸 Free to Be Seen: Releasing the Fear of Being Perceived 🌸

For the longest time, I've carried this fear of being perceived, which is ironic given my upbringing in a church environment. Raised in a Christian church, I chose to leave this path when I was 21. Until then, I had been perceived by church folks my entire childhood up until my early adulthood. Everything was scrutinized, from my demeanor to the way I dressed and spoke. At the time, leaving the church represented freedom from judgment, among other things. I knew I never wanted to experience that feeling of being "perceived" ever again. Being perceived meant being judged. I didn't want to be told how to live, think, or feel. This was challenging because, despite my efforts, I couldn't avoid being perceived; there was no escaping it. It took me some time to realize that we are always being perceived and judged no matter where we are or what we are doing; this isn't unique to the church.

After learning that I could not escape it, it took me several more years to decide I wanted to be liberated from the fear of being perceived. Imagine how many opportunities we miss due to fear. With time and experience, I learned that it's very likely that we are our own harshest critic and no one is paying attention as much as we think; everyone is more concerned with themselves. Also, frankly, why should I be so consumed with how I'm perceived—life's too short to live that way and I refuse to get in my own way. Thus begins a new chapter where I fully embrace myself and the parts of me that are non-conventional, and I release myself from the fear of being perceived; because like the quote by Virginia Woolf says, "-unless I am myself, I am nobody."

This time, I aim to cultivate a space in my blog that is both vulnerable and liberating, and I believe that by doing this, I will inspire others to embrace the same sense of freedom.