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I’ve seen a 29 year-old shelf her successful tattoo business to go and make YouTube videos in her van.
I’ve watched young but highly-paid doctors in the US abandon the profession they worked for years for.
And I’ve felt it myself – the pull to leave behind something that looked impressive, but didn’t feel like me.
One doctor became disillusioned by the healthcare system.
The other doctor just wanted to spend more time with his daughter.
Essentially, there comes a turning point when we stop performing for others and begin reconnecting with ourselves.
It’s a form of internal bonding with who you actually are –
A recognition of ourselves that allows us to blossom into something more.
More than a career, a title, or a qualification –
Rather, to see our hidden gifts begin to show.
Beginning to see yourself as you actually are is a turbulent journey.
It has been for me.
To be honest, I’m still not sure if I’ve even arrived at a place where I can see myself fully yet.
But for now, I can see that I’m leaving behind what is no longer needed, and am exploring a new era of myself.
It’s an ongoing work of art to –
- Make peace with your past decisions
- Reconnect with your voice after performing for too long
- Trust in the changes God is making in you
These are foundational human experiences.
Without them, it’s easy for our connection with others to stay surface-level or performative.
Lately, through Japanese, I’ve been exploring Ayatsuna Hitoka –
- Aya 絢 – beauty – in the layers of self, not just aesthetics
- Tsuna 繋 – connection – with one’s own becoming
- Hito 人 – people – observing both myself and others
- Ka 華 – blossoming – not just through productivity and work – but through reflection, return and restoration.
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