Risk Being Real
"Hey, how are you?" A common greeting which is to be met with an expected "fine" or "good."
In college, I got tired of this exchange with friends who I believed to be safe. What if we took the risk to answer honestly - "I'm not great." or "I'm feeling down today."?
A motto that I adopted for my life during the later years of college is "Risk Being Real." Long before social media, people were hiding behind masks of smiles and cheery personalities. Being real is hard. Yet, it's all we ever want to be. It's all I've ever wanted to be - real. But it's scary. What if people don't like the real you? Isn't it easier to be who others want or expect you to be? Worse yet, what if you don't like the real you?
I'm constantly discovering more of who I really am, and yes, at times I'm surprised and even disgusted at what I see. I'm at times selfish and arrogant. I'm prideful and judgmental. I don't want to be who I am. I want to be who God is making me. As I am being reconciled to God by the life of Jesus, my real authentic self can be known. Christ is real life. The life I long to live only comes by surrender. I surrender to God's love and grace. God is cultivating in me the spirit characterized by love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
So when we speak of taking a risk by showing who we really are, can we speak of being known by God and being transformed by the Spirit? When we are fully known by the only true Being and loved completely by the good and faithful Creator, then and only then, can we be truly real.
This post is written for the Five Minute Friday Writing Community. Writing prompt: Risk. Come join us!
In college, I got tired of this exchange with friends who I believed to be safe. What if we took the risk to answer honestly - "I'm not great." or "I'm feeling down today."?
A motto that I adopted for my life during the later years of college is "Risk Being Real." Long before social media, people were hiding behind masks of smiles and cheery personalities. Being real is hard. Yet, it's all we ever want to be. It's all I've ever wanted to be - real. But it's scary. What if people don't like the real you? Isn't it easier to be who others want or expect you to be? Worse yet, what if you don't like the real you?
I'm constantly discovering more of who I really am, and yes, at times I'm surprised and even disgusted at what I see. I'm at times selfish and arrogant. I'm prideful and judgmental. I don't want to be who I am. I want to be who God is making me. As I am being reconciled to God by the life of Jesus, my real authentic self can be known. Christ is real life. The life I long to live only comes by surrender. I surrender to God's love and grace. God is cultivating in me the spirit characterized by love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
So when we speak of taking a risk by showing who we really are, can we speak of being known by God and being transformed by the Spirit? When we are fully known by the only true Being and loved completely by the good and faithful Creator, then and only then, can we be truly real.
This post is written for the Five Minute Friday Writing Community. Writing prompt: Risk. Come join us!
I find it a constant challenge to be real about who I really am, but without bothering people with the minutiae of my life. The best answer seems to be to listen to them!
ReplyDeleteI constantly struggle to find a balance between being real, but without bothering people with the minutiae of my daily life. The best thing I find is to listen!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your willingness to risk and be honest about learning who you are for better or worse... communities are always better when people risk reaching out. Thanks for sharing. #fiveminutefridays
ReplyDeleteAin’t no way that I’ll be real,
ReplyDeleteand the Oakleys hide my eyes
so you can’t see how I feel,
for a hard man never cries.
Ain’t no way I’ll let you in,
sympathy’s not welcome here;
cancer, see, is going to win,
and with a life I still hold dear
I can’t afford to let it crack,
the mask I hold for all to see,
for if I do, then hell’s attack
will gain its final victory.
It’s how we roll, with pasted smile,
weeping, weeping all the while.
#1 position at FMF this week.
I agree, it is a risk to be real with people rather than hiding behind a mask, but when I've taken the risk I've found it is usually worth it!
ReplyDelete