August 2022
Dear Friends,
I recently came across this quote that I felt compelled to share with all of you.
“Finding yourself is not really how it works. You’re not a lost ten-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. Finding yourself is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering of who you were before the world got its hands on you.” – Emily Mcdowell
I’d love to hear what you think of this statement. It resonates with me because it’s exactly where I am in my own life – returning to my true self.
I’ve realized that all of these years I’ve become a person that other people have said I “should be” and, sadly, I’ve believed the negative lies that were told to me about who I am. It’s crazy to think I’ve become someone I don’t know. Yet, I am hopeful that this journey I now find myself is one that will bring me back to who I truly am.
Some things I’ve discovered about myself is that I am more creative than I’ve allowed myself to be. Leaving home at such a young age forced me to be in survival mode for far too long. I have never, truly, allowed myself to be creative and enjoy life. I was too focused on working and trying to survive. I’ve learned that I love to dance, I love God’s Word and sharing it with others, and I enjoy writing, traveling, trying new adventures, new foods, learning about other cultures and I love laughing and helping others. I know it sounds altruistic yet, it’s true.
My husband told me the other day that he never knows how my birthday is going to be. He said he was pleasantly surprised at how light and joyful I was this year. His comment caused me pause. He said that most years I’m anxious and “want things perfect,” which turns out to be a disappointment. That made me sad. I don’t want to be that person. So, I asked myself why this year was different.
This year all I wanted to do was to help someone in need. I heard an old adage once that has stuck with me: “I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” Whenever I feel sorry for myself, I am reminded that there are others in far worse off situations than I and my heart is to help. So, this year I asked my team to join me in putting food packages together to help feed the refugees in Ukraine.
We came together to accomplish this goal and I was also able to introduce them to an organization that they’d never heard of. Perhaps God used me to plant a seed in their hearts to want to continue to be involved in outreaches like this. That made my heart happy. So, now what do I do with this realization? I’m still working that all out. For now, I am impassioned to find ways to help others throughout the day. Being in real estate actually allows me to do that.
I just need to manage my time a whole lot better! More important than that, helping others buy and sell homes affords me the opportunity to donate more of my time and finances to help those in need. I look forward to continuing this journey to returning to myself. How about you? I’d love to hear your story of self-discovery.
With love & gratitude,
Rica
