Give yourself permission

Give yourself permission…

Give yourself permission to feel every wave of emotion,

even if they knock you off your feet, crashing you to your knees.

You need to feel, you need to embrace them all.

Allow them to flow over you, through you.

Those emotions, both good and bad, will ebb if you accept them.

That way, they won’t get stuck inside of you, especially those negative ones,

the ones that eat you up from the inside out,

the ones that wake you up, shaking and screaming at night.

They only have that power because you tried to avoid them,

trapping them deep inside you.

Feel them, give into their power, appreciate your ability to feel them.

I promise, they will ebb, allowing room to feel even more,

opening you to the positive, the light, the love.

Give yourself permission to not be perfect,

to be enough as you are, right this very moment.

Embrace your imperfections and flaws, for they make you unique.

Allow yourself to accept your curves, dimples, scars,

loving your body as it is today, at this weight, in this shape.

Accept and praise your body’s ability, what it is capable of doing,

instead of beating yourself up about what it cannot do.

You are not your limitations, your disability.

Instead, celebrate your body’s ability to move

in whatever manner it is meant,

for it wakes every morning, taking in breath,

granting yet another opportunity.

What will you do with the vast possibilities?

How will you choose to Live?

Give yourself permission to embrace your uniqueness, being you,

the you that is deep inside your soul,

the you that is screaming to come out, the you that needs to Live.

Let go of punishing yourself with this unreasonable expectation

of how you think you’re expected to be,

both in appearance and personality.

Allow yourself to breathe, to no longer feel constrained

by what others expect you to look like, to behave like.

Embrace the gifts in your life that bring forth joy,

sharing those gifts and skills with others.

Allow yourself to let go of whatever brings you pain,

including people in your life; say goodbye, walk away,

stand on your own. Recognize your strength, appreciate it.

Cherish yourself, just as you are.

You are already enough. You are already perfect.

Give yourself permission.

Go ahead. You can do it.

(Written to the voice, screaming in my own head.)

(5-13-16)