2020 had teeth on it. I don’t think I really need to say much more about it for you to understand the teeth statement. We all lived it. I’ve been shaking it off, or rather peeling it off like a snakeskin for the past two months give or take. 2020 was part of a very intense process of transformation and rebirth for me and I know I’m not alone. It got messy at times, but there was a part of me that could not be stopped. I was, for all intents and purposes, unstoppable in my resiliency. Something tells me you understand.
My persistence and resiliency, I was reminded, are my superpowers, and I used those powers for good – my personal growth and expansion, as well as for my coaching clients. I felt a bit like Wonder Woman, probably because I’ve always identified with her the most, feeling as a gay man like I’d come from some far-off exotic island, descended from a tribe of heart-centered warriors whose whole life mission was making the world a better place. You know, world peace and such. Of course, Superman’s ability to fly and Spiderman’s web shooting wrists are also personal favorites, but Wonder Woman, she’s my gal. So I peeled off my skin of transformation dated 2020, and I couldn’t be happier or shinier than I am now in 2021.
And I know I’m not alone, resiliency is built into the very DNA of our souls.
Interestingly, at this particular point in time, albeit a bit of a strange time, I seem to have found myself yet again, no longer searching for or running from God only knows what. I’ve been feeling deeply at home in my skin and accepting my sparkle. Yes, as some of you know, I’ve got a thing for glitter. I’m loving it all, regardless of what any of the “all” might look like – good, bad or incased in sugar-coated caramel goodness. After a lot of years and a great deal of practice I’ve finally gotten the hang of creating my life. And serendipitously there was a lot of time to create this past year. Time that supported me in expressing the richness of my creative gifts, to show up more fully in the present moment, attune to what wants to flow through, and a greater need to connect by sharing it. There was a certain magic to it all despite the challenges. I found a sweetness and a joy. I was more caring of myself and others, more present, and I was giving from the overflow. All of this combined to create a sense of arriving, while at the same time a feeling of always moving, always alive, and always grateful.
In getting to this place, I realized it took a lot of audacity.
Like a lot. I also recognize that I’ve always been audacious in how I live my life. I was born audacious. Barry Audacious Clark. Actually, I was born gay, and I will tell you my soul has a whole hell of a lot of audacity. When a good amount of folks on this planet still judge me and my kin as sinners, sick, or even unworthy of living, this being me takes a giant set of proverbial balls, and thank God, I got them.
Being born gay is audacious, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Now it’s not all bad, I don’t mean to paint that picture, you just need to be incredibly courageous, forgiving, audacious and loving, especially loving of yourself, because the “haters gonna hate” to quote Taylor Swift. And I’m prone to quote Tay-Tay from time to time because I’m gay. But frankly, it doesn’t matter who we are, or what our background is in any of the many ways we categorize ourselves these days.
Being human takes guts. Being human takes courage. Being human requires stamina and resiliency, and yes, audacity.
And when you really think about it, being resilient, getting back up every time we falter, fail, or get thrown to our knees, is probably the most audacious thing we could ever do. When you look at your own life today, give yourself a pat on the back, cause guess what, you’re still here. You’re still kicking. You made it through oh so many things in this lifetime so far. And guess what, you got this. You really do. I do. And now my friends, it’s time to do that next thing, whatever it is. Start a family, build a business, or make a difference in someone’s life today. You choose. And congratulations on everything so far. You done good. And I’m so proud of you.
Barry Alden Clark is a writer and professional life coach. His work is focused on helping people live their best lives by acting as a guide for them to connect more deeply with their internal life force where creativity, purpose, and true freedom reside, while using humor, compassion, and kindness as hallmarks for the process of personal evolution. Recently Barry published his first book, “Living Life Now: Ingredients for Thriving In The Modern World,” now available on Amazon, and launched his new podcast “Living Life Now,” available on iTunes, Spotify and Google Music. You can reach Barry at www.barryaldenclark.com.
Image courtesy of Ann H.
