Today on Live Awake, I would like to give you permission.

In this moment, on this breath, in the room in which you are sitting, if you would allow

me to, I'd like to give you permission to come out from hiding, to come out from behind

the curtain of your life and be here, on this breath, unapologetically you.

This means in this moment, you are allowed to sit without the weight of your various identities.

You are allowed to sit here without the pressure of being appeasing or pleasing to anyone.

You are allowed to sit here in this moment, only to take care of your own self, your own

heart, your own tenderness. Let this moment be one of freedom and non-identification.

Let this moment be a reunion with you, you sometimes do not allow yourself to be, the

you you sometimes forget, and the you that you are sometimes afraid to be. If you do not

know who this you is, it is the one inside of you that feels relief when it comes home

and closes the door. It is the tender heart inside of you. It is the you that was shushed

when young, that was contained, bullied, ridiculed into hiding. It is the you you shoved inside

when you were told to act more appropriately, to be less truthful, to hide your feelings,

to be more lovable by acting how someone else wanted you to. The you that is free from

being what you think others want you to be. It is the inherent you. The one you were

born as before squeezed into tiny boxes. The you that came into the world completely unembarassed,

unapologetic, deep as the ocean, ferociously wild and unencumbered, sensitive as skin,

wise and wide eyed. The you you comfortingly return home to when everyone has left you to be.

I want you to be aware of the self inside of you. I'm really aware, fiercely aware. I want to

lovingly encourage you to be this person. I want to tell you you are allowed to be loyal to this

you that in being this you you find freedom, your intrinsic freedom. And that by being in your

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