Standing on the edge of a precipice
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
If you follow any of my social channels, then you’ll probably already know that this year’s Pride Month was a pretty big deal for me.
In the past, I’ve always been relieved when Pride was over because it was a reminder that I wasn’t living in integrity with myself. But this year, all that changed. I’m now on the other side of coming out - to literally everyone I know - as bi, and feeling more than a little relieved. Although I’d been out with close friends for a long time, this was a totally new arena where I showed up and let myself be seen. This is only one small part of my journey and I still have a lot of processing to do - which I know is going to take time - but I’m ready to put in the work. Whatever happens from here, I feel as though I have taken a huge leap towards owning my story, and accepting myself for who I really am.
It’s always hard to take the plunge and make a change in our lives, whatever that change may be. That’s why I want to share this video, because it shows just how vulnerable and unsure I was feeling, right at the moment before I showed up as my authentic self. Yes, I was also excited and yes, I felt totally ready, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t nervous and anxious about what the outcome would be. This video clip was me just before I stepped forward into Edinburgh Pride 2023.
Having the courage to make changes in your life, and to accept the vulnerability that comes with it, is often the only way to live with integrity, and honour your true self. I want to invite you to think about a time in your life when you have experienced something similar. A time when you were “standing on the edge of a precipice” and desperately hoping, without any certainty, that you were going to fly - rather than fall crashing to the ground. You may have been giving in your notice at work to embark on a new career; you may have been ending a relationship; or perhaps you simply found the courage to have that difficult conversation with someone close to you.
Whatever it was for you, remember to give yourself the credit you deserve for allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and for making the decision to show up as your authentic self.
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