Embracing and Owning truth!

To some, it may seem like an exciting time in which to be living, to others, these are times for weeping, mourning and gnashing of teeth. The world has exploded into a Renaissance and Rebirth of everything which was once hidden from the wise, the prudent, the babe and the suckling.

One minute, I was blissfully lost in the shades of black and white...the next, I became blinded within a great burst of colorful titles, sub-titles, words and phrases. There is much nakedness upon the movie screens these days, and every story plot includes a myriad of gendered souls...The young eyes, once shielded from the varied nuances of adult intermingling...are opened at birth to the many, once undiscovered, now new and wholly beautiful kaleidoscopic discovered facets of the human psyche.

What does it mean?

Cisgendered...what is that? Apparently it describes someone whose internal sense of gender corresponds with the sex the person was identified as having at birth. Most people can be described as cisgender, or cis.

OK. So am I cis or mis-gendered. Hmmm! For, now I begin to wonder if I have fully discovered my true self.

I must admit that it is really very confusing trying to sort out who is whom. Who identifies as what or whom. Yet...is it not in these differences that the world becomes an interesting and marvelous place. Is it not the freedom of an individual to express the beauty which makes up the core of their being. Must we not embrace that happiness which blooms like a flower welcoming the new day, new dew and the new sun arising to bathe our entirety in glorious splendor.

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What it means to hold onto your identity when the world demands that you let it go. What does it look like to live authentically when being seen can feel dangerous? To love when love itself is debated? To resist when the cost of doing so is deeply personal?

Grasping one's identity when the world demands its surrender is an act of quiet defiance. It is choosing to remain whole in the face of fragmentation, to assert existence when erasure looms like a shadow. It is deciding---every day, sometimes every moment---that you are worthy of being known as you are, even when the world tries to convince you otherwise.

An authentic lifestyle of visibility feels perilous, a balancing act between fear and courage...Glances exchanged in spaces where understanding is wordless...finding sanctuary in unexpected places, laughter shared between those who see you fully. It is living in the margins until those margins can be rewritten as your center. Some days, it looks like exhaustion; other days, like quiet celebration in knowing that existence itself is an unspoken victory.

To resist makes silence more costly than the price of speaking. It is standing firm when the ground beneath you shakes. It is grief and rage in equal measure. But it is also power---the kind that cannot be taken, only given. And when resistance finds its rhythm, when it gathers voices and shapes movements, it ceases to be a burden and becomes something else entirely. It becomes freedom.

Love

To love when love itself is debated is to insist on joy as a form of resistance. It is to justify something intrinsic, to explain why the heart beats toward another in ways only it understands. It is holding hands in the open, knowing the price but choosing presence over fear. It is writing new definitions in spaces where love has long been misinterpreted. It is insisting that love---pure, boundless, fiercely defended...is never up for debate.

Love is a Catalyst for Change...movements are often born out of injustice, but they are sustained by love---the love for community, for dignity, for the possibility of a better world. Love turns protest into purpose, ensuring that movements are not just about opposition but about creation, about building something new.

Love is Solidarity...not just an emotion but a practice. It shows up in mutual aid, in the willingness to stand beside those who are suffering, in the refusal to abandon each other. It binds people together across differences, reminding them that their struggles are interconnected.

In a world that seeks to divide and dehumanize, love is defiance, resistance. It refuses to be silenced or dismissed. Love makes space for joy, even in the midst of struggle. It reminds people that they are worthy, that they are seen, that their fight matters.

Healing

Social movements carry pain---of oppression, loss, and sacrifice. But healing can be found in shared stories, in laughter between activists, in the quiet moments where people remind one another that they are not alone. It makes endurance possible.

The most powerful movements are not just about tearing down systems---they are about building something better. And love is the blueprint for that future. It insists that justice must be rooted in care, that freedom is meaningless if it does not come with dignity, and that in the end, every fight for justice is, at its core, a fight for love and healing.

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Authenticity

Practicing authenticity is about living in alignment with who you truly are, even when the world pushes you to conform. It’s a commitment---a daily choice...to honor your values, express your truth, and move through the world with integrity.

Know Yourself Deeply. Take time to reflect on what truly matters to you---your values, beliefs, passions, and boundaries. The more you understand yourself, the easier it becomes to live authentically.

Speak Your Truth. Say what you mean. Express your opinions, even when they differ from the majority. Let your words be a reflection of your inner world rather than a script written for approval.

Embrace Vulnerability...perfection is an unattainable notion. Life is about honesty. Allow yourself to be seen, flaws and all. Vulnerability creates deeper connections and makes space for genuine relationships.

Set Boundaries: You don’t have to shrink to fit someone else's expectations. Protect your energy by saying no when something doesn’t align with your truth.

Resist the Need for External Validation: Seeking approval can lead to self-betrayal. Trust your instincts. Your worth isn’t tied to the opinions of others.

Honor Your Emotions: Don’t suppress how you feel just to maintain appearances. Joy, grief, anger, and love---they’re all part of being human. Own them.

Stay Open to Growth: Nothing is static. As you evolve, so will your understanding of yourself. Give yourself permission to change.

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Mental health

This can be the difference between inner peace and constant tension, between self-acceptance and self-doubt. Cultivate emotional strength and foster a deeper sense of well-being.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Stop Pretending to be someone you’re not---It takes energy to maintain a facade.

Honor your values and embrace who you are, build self-worth. You are enough, just as you are.

This is essential for mental well-being. The more you honor your truth, the more grounded and empowered you become.

Whichever gender you find yourself embracing, fight the great fight. Many have died to empower the mass of humanity with the right to choose.

OWN IT!