Do You Know?

Do you know that you are someone's favorite person? As in their favorite person ever. That your face is the one that makes them feel the most safe and secure. That your laugh is their favorite sound on the planet. That a hug from you is the one they long for most. That your voice is the one they long to hear for advice or comfort.

Do you know that your body tells a story? That the exact hues in your eyes are so uniquely yours. That your deepening laugh lines are echoes of years of smiling encouragement, soft chuckles and hard belly laughs. That the marks on your hands are from wiping so many tears, rubbing backs and lacing your fingers with someone else's. 

Do you know your mind is like no one else's? That your thoughts are uniquely knit together by you. That the way you see and process people and the world is a viewpoint the entire universe wants to be represented in one person. That your ideas around how to fix a problem or enhance the world is your beautifully, unique voice.

Do you know your soul has limitless potential? That you could change someone's entire life at any moment by having a thoughtful conversation. Or offering a listening ear. Or coming alongside a movement you care about. That you have within you a kind of divine power to impact the world around you in a way that changes history. And that moment could be any moment. 

Do you know that everything above is true, and yet many people spend their entire lives trying to be less of what makes them unique and more of what makes them blend in? That the body starts to take it's cue from what is represented in media. That the beauty then starts to become homogeneous as everyone starts to look the same. Eventually, you'll also quiet the one-of-a-kind thoughts of your mind in favor of opinions that you see offered everywhere. And all of that will reinforce within your soul that what is different is less than. Sub-par. A threat. Something to be hidden, weeded out or convinced otherwise. That your differences at best should be ignored and at worst should be destroyed. 

What if the thing the world needs more of is the vast differences that exist in all of us? We just need to be brave enough to show up.