You’d have had to be living under a rock in the middle of a dessert to not know about Bruce Jenner’s transition to a woman. The grocery checkout gossip rags regularly showcase him front and center on their covers with some salacious headline. It’s big news.
Yet despite the sensationalism of it all I have come to admire Bruce and his journey.
Imagine what it must be like for an individual who has made the courageous decision to transition to the other sex. For them, it is the correct sex and the reassignment is correcting what in their mind is a mistake of nature. The body that they were born with does not reflect how they perceive themselves and the drive for authenticity leads them to seek a medical solution.
How gut wrenching it must be to take that leap? Once the decision is made, they must, somehow, face their friends and family with their choice. Will they be rejected, ostracized, ridiculed? Can they hope for understanding, acceptance?
What must it be like to bare yourself so visibly, so vulnerably, as you transition into being your true self?
Now as you consider that for minute, consider Bruce Jenner’s journey. Here is a incredibly recognizable celebrity, a gold metal Olympian, a national hero, an actor, respected business man, a father of six and of course the patriarch of the popular show “Keeping up with the Kardashian’s.” What must it be like for someone so recognizable in todays ever present media to come out as trans gender?
Talk about courage, talk about visibility, what must it be like to have such a personal and life altering decision plastered all over T.V., the web and every gossip rag out there. That takes guts.
So when I think about Bruce Jenner and his journey (he still goes by he until the transition is compete) I can’t help but feel silly about my lack of courage for not following through with my dream and desires. I mean anything I want to achieve is no going to be tomorrow’s headlines. My family and friends will think of me the same way they do today if I have an epic failure and make an ass of myself and as for society, well except for my small circle of influence the public will probably never know or care if I succeed or fail.
Bruce reminds me that we only have one life and it our responsibility to use that gift authentically. That means being and showing our true self no matter the cost, and the cost may be dear indeed.
What have you been afraid to achieve because you were too afraid to make it happen? Consider how different your life could be if you had the courage to make your desires a reality.
Now consider what Bruce Jenner and all the other people out there that have faced the biggest fear of all and admitted that they are not who they were born as and are courageous enough to do something about it.
Kinda makes your fears seen like a walk in the park doesn’t it?
