Be you

Whether it’s Juneteenth, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month or just an ordinary day of the year, I will always advocate for equity actions to address racial disparities in our various communities.

But this Juneteenth, I also want to focus on the importance of being true to ourselves no matter what may be going on around us.

Here’s how you can start.

Be you.

Not everyone will like or love it, but at the end of the day being you and loving you makes it all better. Being you and loving you is worth it.

Don’t compromise who you are.

People will at times prioritize their needs over yours. Be loving and kind, but don’t lose yourself for, or in, anyone. Be you.

Stay focused.

Distractions come in many forms: things, ideas and people are just a few. Don’t let any of those things dilute your focus or your peace. Peace is irreplaceable. You are irreplaceable. Be you.

Don’t forget.

You are amazing. You are blessed. You are loved. You are beautiful. No matter how many people fail to see it, recognize and treat yourself as such. You are all these things. Act like it. Be you.

Invest only where you can get a return on investment.

People will take as much as you give them. As you give more, they will take more. Their taking may be painful because you may notice they give little back in return. Return giving is never required, but every now and then you want an investment in you, too. You deserve it. A thank you is an investment. A kind word is an investment. Being appreciated is an investment. You deserve to be invested in for being you. Be you.

Be you when it’s not popular.

Be you when those around you doubt you. Be you in moments of challenge and controversy. Be you when it’s necessary although it may not be expedient or safe. There will come a time when being you will not bring you more likes or more followers. Instead, being you may cause those who you thought were friends to distance themselves from you and never return. Their absence is not a loss. Their absence is the growth of your inner soul to further the new and expanded version of you.

Be you.

As Amanda Gorman writes in her poem Miracle of Morning:

While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,
Our people have never been more tightly tethered.
Because the question isn’t if we will weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.
So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.
Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend.

Be love. Be joy. Be kind. Be present. Be loyal. Be faithful. Be honest.

Be YOU.