Life is like a warm blanket wrap around a baby. From infancy until you become an adult, many expectations and preconceived notions of who are and what you should become are layers placed on you. Your parents are the first to layer you with expectations, family, and friends are among those who add additional layers. You then find yourself bombarded with expectations to comply to rather than conforming to your true identity.
Some of these layers are include questions and expectations such as: Where are you going to school? What do you want to be when you grow up? When are you getting married? When are you starting a family? These pressing questions may lead one to believe he or she must succumb to meeting the demands, therefore, therefore, he or she adds additional layers to meet such demands.
As one continues his or her journey, the journey continues, one may find himself or herself on the road to self-reflection and discover he or she has embraced an identity which does not reflect one’s authentic self. The reason is one have conformed to layers placed by societal expectations.
When one reaches this self-realization, like a baby wrapped in a warm blanket, he or she is no longer comfortable until some of the layers are removed. This is also considered the renewing of the mind.
The process of renewing the mind begins the process of reaching the inner core of one’s authentic self.
If we progress to this place, this is a good place- unless one returns to the original plan for his or her life, he or she will experience a void and sense of incompletion. The removal of layers process is necessary; otherwise, the desire to reach a place of refuge within will continue.
The old adage, “I feel comfortable in my skin,” is a place one can reach. It requires the renewing of the mind, but we all can get there.
