I was on a planned two day layover in Toronto, between Costa Rica and Charlotte, when I decided to take my day 9 Oprah and Deepak Meditation in the sauna because well, why not. Plus I could see snow from the roof top gym, still piled around the window ledges, so heat felt like the right thing to do.

Three things collided for me while I sat dripping in the small wooded room..before my iPhone overheated and shut off. As it should. Not my finest hour.

“You are the author of your own life story, you can start a new chapter any time you choose. Honour your authenticity. Live the story. Your story”.

These words struck me as I listened to Oprah open with her usual reflective introduction and I was reminded of a similar sentiment spoken from different lips the previous night.

Those lips were my sisters, and the words were in response to a question asked to her during her conversation on the Roman Around Podcast. She was asked if she were to take a page out of her encyclopedia and share it with the world what it would say.

Her answer was about being authentic. Learning and growing and figuring out what it looks like to consistently show up as authentically as possible.

My mind then immediately went back to a quote I came across my last week in Costa Rica by Charlotte Eriksson that read, “You’re under no obligation to be who people think you are. Change, grow, rearrange yourself.  Free and beautiful things always bloom and spark with no holding back.”

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the same message came to me from multiple sources.

I think it’s a sign. 

We don’t need to explain ourselves to people or fulfill a role they may expect us to because it’s how we’ve showed up in the past. Even though we may feel so strongly at times that this is the case, we don’t need to.

Often we may not even realize this it’s this belief that may be holding us back from being, saying or doing something new.

How we are, how we act, feel and look is our choice.

If we choose to incorporate gratitude and grace within our day, our path will most certainly be illuminated by light. 

Shine bright.