The other day, someone told me that my desires and dreams were inappropriate.
Not appropriate?
What she really meant was that I should behave in ways that society deemed and defined as “suitable” for a person like me. Since I am a Black middle-aged woman who plays basketball, challenges religious views, travels alone, makes her own rules, and encourages other women to confront social rules, to her, my actions were inappropriate.
My so-called “friend” and mentor thought she was offering me sage advice. But I reminded her I was the ONLY person who could determine what was appropriate for me because I was the ONLY one who knew my heart, mind, and soul.
Of course, my response didn’t land well. But what my friend didn’t understand was that I NEVER planned or aspired to be appropriate; that was NEVER my goal or intention.
My guiding principle is to ALWAYS follow my heart and heed my own inner compass.
And when you follow your own conscience, convictions, and compass, you may not be appropriate. But you will be in alignment.
Just for the record: alignment is always more relevant, more powerful, and more authentic than being “appropriate.”
Why? Alignment ensures that you honor your unique wisdom, talents, strengths, wisdom, personality, and all the other attributes that your Creator gave you to do your divine work, mission, or purpose.
So be leery of people telling you what’s appropriate for you based on your color, your size, your age, your sexual orientation, your faith, your educational level, or whatever factor they use to confine you to a specific context, paradigm, lifestyle, or label. Be YOU, all of you, and live in alignment with your divine destiny and beyond the suffocating status quo.
Next week, I will offer some tips to help you discern what’s in alignment for you.
But for now, don’t forget that being appropriate will only make you settle and limit you to outdated rules and identities that will rob you of your joy, agency, and truth. So, be sure to strive for alignment.
Thank you so much for reading this message, and I hope you have a very inappropriate day! (smile)
