The unraveling,
It never seems to end,
The pulling of one thread
And then another
Until she’s naked,
Flesh and bone no match
For the truth of her heart,
A gift unto herself
©Ashley Castle Barnes
Famed author and researcher, Brené Brown once wrote: “Midlife is not a crisis. Midlife is an unraveling….Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:
I’m not screwing around. All of this pretending and performing—these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt—has to go. Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy and lovable, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever. Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through your veins. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.
This unraveling is not only part of midlife though.
For many of us, it’s a part of the experience of deciding to embark on a path of growth – which is decidedly not for the faint of heart.
And yet all the raw vulnerability, the feeling of nakedness as we slowly peel back the layers and uncover the gold underneath, is an amazing gift to ourselves.
We were never truly broken, no matter what the world told us.
Maybe a bit tarnished or cracked, and covered in protective layers.
But at our core, whole. Perfect. Just as we are.
Who else needed to be reminded of this today?