“There is a crown there which nobody’s head but yours can ever wear. There is a seat in which none but yourself can sit. There is a harp that will be silent till your fingers strike its strings…”

Charles Spurgeon

We live in a world where it seems every time we turn around there is something or some ad campaign trying to tempt us into being someone who we were not designed to be. Subliminally sending the message that we are not enough with what we have or being who we currently are. You ever notice that? Buy this car, get these clothes, get this body! Or if you are under the deception of the “A” reels of social media, it can cause you to begin to question, compare and even covet someone else’s life!

“Oh look at them. I wish I could do that. Why am I not… Why don’t I have”.

It can really get out of control. At the end of scrolling you can feel a little lower in spirit than you did before you took any of that in. I want to remind you to take control of your focus and be uniquely you!

I have a friend I call KD, that I love and admire so much! She always shows up as herself she has a style and a flow that lights up a room. It lights me up when I see her coming. She totally embraces and celebrates the exclusivity of her being. As women especially, it is so important that we are comfortable in what makes us who we are. The world around us is healthier when we are intentional about maintaining a healthy view of ourselves and show up with confidence in it. When we try and fit into a mold not made for us, because we want to impress others & appear different than who we actually are, our insecurities will actually speak louder than the lie of the statement we think we are deceiving others with.

One thing about my friend KD that she may not know is that I need her to be herself. I need her to show up exactly as who God made her to be. Why? Because she inspires me! She unknowingly holds me accountable to standing firm in me being uniquely me. Fact is there is no shortage on insecure, inauthentic people, and being in their presence for a while, makes me really treasure someone like my dear friend KD. Someone secure in who she is that appreciates my authenticity and uniqueness too!

So if I may encourage you, being the unique you is a powerful position that only you get to hold in this life. It’s ok if you’re still not sure yet what all that means for you. If you are still finding your way within yourself. Just be intentional about it. Seek the truth of who you are, who you were created to be, and show up as that. Unapologetically, unabashedly, standing firm with love, and light up this world with your presence! There are people around you who want a relationship with that you, not the synthetic version. Don’t be afraid to cast your cares to God, about all the different and special parts of you, especially the ones you just don’t understand. He made no mistake when He created you. Period! You never have to pose as someone you think you should be for acceptance or inclusion. Those who are meant to be in relationship and connection with you will. There is purpose in every one of those connections too. The same is true for the ones who have been granted a specifically timed season in your life. When seasons over, please, let them go Beloved. Trust, it will effect who you become when you hold on to things that have run their course too long. Because no matter who stays or goes, when you are intentional about knowing you and just being (remember you are a human being, not a human pretending) who you were made to be, that’s all part of God’s plan and purpose for your life. That purpose is special and exclusive to you, for those you will encounter in this life. So do your part, and just be.

I celebrate who you are and who you are not! I join you in loving you where you are RIGHT NOW! You are God’s love manifested! Find some way to make your day beautiful and see others nourished from the overflow!  -Shaherah

A special note for Moms: Please always remember that although your children may be small, they are sponges. Soaking up every behavior and hanging on to every word we say. Especially our daughters, who may identify even more with us. Make it a habit to be mindful of how you speak about yourself in front of them at every age bracket. Your self sabotaging talk, albeit unintentional, may have unintended consequences. It can lead that sweet young lady in your life down a very long and dark road of misplaced self worth and lack of self love. Many young women who struggle with body image and feelings of worthiness, begin their first battles in their mind at a very early age. If we constantly nit pick ourselves and how we look, we are inadvertently teaching them by demonstration to have these same unhealthy, unproductive associations with their own bodies. Associations that will effect relationships they have not only with themselves, also with other women, as well as their romantic relationships. So let us be mothers, aunties, friends, and loved ones intentional about not diminishing our uniqueness and value, but ready to celebrate and honor the truth of what is well and precious about us being the only one like us!

God, Thank You for the intention and care with which You created me. The time it took for me to be so uniquely designed was nothing short of a miracle. Forgive me for the days that I have not been able to see me and all that I am, as Your divinely created masterpiece. Help me to see myself the way You do, and to walk confidently in who You have called me to be. Teach me how to love myself through and through, from the inside out and to believe that I am loved and beautiful just as I am. – Amen