Your Approval is Not Required

Even the strongest of souls has that little voice in the back of the mind saying "will everyone approve of this?" It is human nature to seek approval for our choices, and those that claim they never care what anyone thinks of them are not being honest with us or themselves.

This weekend I finally got my tattoo that I have been thinking about for too many years to admit. I originally wanted something small that I could conceal when I choose and reveal with I choose. I decided to have a beautiful henna design done to pay homage to my love for and involvement in the arabic culture. My friend asked me what the design was going to look like and I said "I don't know, the artist is going to draw it on the fly." Kind of the way I live my life! The artist did such an amazing job but she drew it so much larger than I had planned. I was thinking something about 1 or 2 inches; the design was 7 inches long and 2 inches wide. When I looked at it in the mirror it was too perfect to change a thing. It seemed to flow with my body as if it had always been there. I decided to leap and gave her the go ahead.

This being my first tattoo I envisioned it was going to be horrific searing pain. Initially there were a couple of times that took my breath away, but instead of fighting the pain I started taking it in as part of the milestone. I started thinking about how I was getting this tattoo by myself, just like so many other things in my life, I was doing it alone. Instead of that being a sad thing it was a reminder of my strength and all that I am capable of.

Each time the needle touched my body it bore the mark of a difficulty in my life, a triumph, a heartache, an accomplishment, a disappointment and the pure joy of how amazing my life is. Each stroke of the needle was no longer about the design, but a mark of pride for all that had been right AND wrong in my life. I was so in the zone of what this all was for me that by the time she finished I was actually so relaxed I almost fell asleep.

I love my tattoo and what it represent to me. I have friends who have seen it and love it as much as I do. I have others in my life that will be most disturbed by it, but that can't be helped. It is already such a apart of me not just physically but mentally and emotionally.

Whatever it is that you are afraid to do, whatever you think the people in your life won't approve it, stop standing in your own way. No matter how much people are there for you and friends support you, ultimately it all comes down to you and only you.

So, make your choices and commit to them proudly and wholeheartedly. The people who love you will always support you, even if they don't agree with you. Those that don't are no longer needed.


The amazing artist that created for me, Tiffany Garcia:    http://www.Tiffany-Garcia.com