Human

It is tough to process and come to grips with the fact that I am never going to be perfect and that is absolutely okay and expected. I am not always likable. I am fallible and can be downright nasty at times. With the exception of those who choose not to embrace their humanity and grow from their mistakes, this is what it means to be human. To be flawed, messy, vulnerable, kind, mean, loving, horrible... All of it. Everything.

Undoing the harmful teachings and conditioning that people are either good or bad is exhausting work. Again, with some exceptions, people are people--neither completely at the binary of good or bad. They are both. At the same time and separately. We are all heroes and villains. All of us. There is no perfection. There is no "right" way to be. We just are. That is completely unsettling and unstable. It is also utterly freeing. Like living in the eye of the storm.

I promise to continue to own my choices. To learn from the harm I cause. To cause less harm today than I did yesterday. To apologize and make amends when I do cause harm. To continue to grow into my humanity as uncomfortable, vulnerable, and flawed as it is. I will also continue to hold space for those around me who are doing the same, and to invite others to hop into the chaos that comes with bucking perfectionism and accepting our naked humanness. I will take responsibility for my actions and will allow others to do the same. (This is where most of my learning comes into play. I am only responsible for me.) I will do this with love and patience, and a good helping of healthy boundaries. On the days that I don't, I will meet myself with love and make my way back to the center.

These are some of the human traits that popped into my head while creating the graphic. What would you add to the list?

Image description: Ocean and skyline in background. The word "human" in large, bold caps in foreground. The following words faded into the background: messy, rigid, caring, taker, hero, perpetrator, manipulator, caregiver, dependent, pursuer, saint, healer, savior, victim, instigator, teacher, sinner, student, lover, friend, scared, fearless, hurt, fighter, giver, withdrawer, peacekeeper, naive, vindictive, abuser, devil, villain, vulnerable, aggressor, foe, martyr.

#heroesandart #alisamay #human #messy #rigid #caring #taker #hero #perpetrator #manipulator #caregiver #dependent #pursuer #saint #healer #savior #victim #instigator #teacher #sinner #student #lover #friend #scared #fearless #hurt #fighter #giver #withdrawer #peacekeeper #naive #vindictive #abuser #devil #villain #vulnerable #aggressor #foe #martyr #healing #healingthroughart #vulnerability #uncomfortable #perfectionism #humanity #flawed #loving