The Courage to Be Yourself, and Love Yourself

I love people who are willing to share their fears and uncertainties — and how they overcame them.  Nancy Marmolejo is one such person.  Check out a recent article she shared with her subscribers….

When I was growing up, I hated my nose. It wasn’t a cute little nose like all the other kids, it was “distinctive”. Kids at school teased me and that led me to believe I was an ugly child.

As I got older, I became more confident but still had issues with my nose. I’d get furious if people took a photo of my profile. I’d try countless makeup tutorials on how to make it look thinner and smaller. Even though I didn’t walk around with the constant thought of being “ugly”, there were enough remnants to trigger me.

Then a few years ago I decided to take some profile shots of myself. Just for kicks. And perhaps it’s because I grew so much over the years while doing my inner work, but I saw beauty in the profile. I saw the Aztec – Spanish- German Warrior Queen hybrid mashup that I am.

What’s even crazier is that I posted the photos on social media… for EVERYONE to see.

I chose to control the narrative. I presented myself in an empowered way, telling the transformational story of my nose being such a source of pain as a child and now it simply makes me ME.

I see ads all the time showing noses like mine as BIG PROBLEMS that need plastic surgery. I’m not going that route. I am so very very happy in my own skin it’s amazing.

learning to love me

I look at the qualities of Deep Genius™ and how life experience is one of our greatest teachers and revealers of our strengths. I have had the life experience of being teased, mocked, scapegoated and rejected. As I worked through all the feelings and emotions, I found that a flower grew from them. The flower of empathy, compassion and inclusion.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without those experiences. I certainly don’t wish pain on others as a teaching tool, but I do wish us all to take an inventory of our ups and downs and pull out the gems that woke up dormant strengths we didn’t know we had.

Who are you as a result of your life events and defining moments? And… how does that contribute to your value?

I have a feeling that it’s a huge part of what makes you distinctive and uniquely qualified.

Blessings,

Nancy

In my book Nancy is a kick ass Aztec – Spanish- German Warrior Queen who dispenses a lot of wisdom about life and career success.  You should get to know her.