Living Authentically...

So I stayed home from work today recovering from a wicked sore throat. Resisting every urge to unpack and clean the house, I forced myself to get some much needed rest. Flipping through endless channels of mindless entertainment, I landed on "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane".  In this episode, Kimora entrusted one of her handy dandy assistants with creating the ultimate event..100 Make Overs for 100 women. This event celebrates the fabulosity of women who have overcome terrible odds. Its purpose is to empower these women to uncover their beauty and to encourage them to fulfill their dreams. After the ladies received new make-up, hair do's and outfits, they sat eagerly awaiting words of wisdom from the Baby Phat Fashion Mogul. Kimora stood before the group, stuttering and stammering while holding the cards of her scripted speech. Moments pass but, the words did not flow. Suddenly, she speaks up and puts her cards down. In an authentic moment, Kimora says "I don't need these 7 cards to speak. I know my brand and what I stand for and that is F A B U L O S I T Y!!!

Kimora Lee Simmons

With that affirmation, she speaks from the heart saying what she actually wants to say from the place within herself that connected personally with each of those women. Her confidence  and belief in what her brand stands for came shining through. The message resonated with her guests which was evident by the "Amens" and "Hallelujahs" she received. At the end of her speech, a few of the women testified how inspired they felt to continue on their journeys of self improvement because Kimora was so transparent.
This TV moment reminded me of one of my favorite quotes by Marianne Williamson.


Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Nothing quite compares to the power of the mind. When you are totally convinced of your value, of your place in this world and your purpose, you are unstoppable. Everything suddenly becomes possible. You no longer look at challenges as obstacles but hurdles. You absolutely will exhaust yourself, searching for possibilities to accomplish your goal. And lets just say, you don't know your place, your value, or your exact purpose then your responsibility is to begin the journey to discover these things.
So often, we wait for our cards to line up to really begin living. We frustrate ourselves with timelines like, I thought by the time I was (whatever age suits the moment placed here)..I would be (whatever activity, lifestyle, bank account size, weight, marital status, hair color, occupation etc). And the reality is you are not. God knew that wherever you are that is where you would be. And life continues. Know that of every single moment of every single day you have not only the choice but the absolute responsibility to throw your cards out the window and write your own script. Let go of the fear of living. Let go of the fear of allowing your light to shine. You not only owe it to yourself but to the rest of the world. There are people waiting to be inspired by your F A B U L O S I T Y!!!