What does it mean to Come As You Are? It means showing up as your truest self. Not a shell of yourself, not a portion of yourself, but the deep down self that makes you feel as if you’ve come back home. It’s the self that makes you feel pure freedom. It means honoring the most genuine version of you; the one that existed before the world tried to strip you of your uniqueness. To come as you are is synonymous with true authenticity. It takes immense bravery to live truthfully in a world that hasn’t always celebrated diversity. It takes incredible strength to break free of the societal expectations that we have been digesting since our inception.
With this series, I want to share those stories of freedom. I want to highlight how you are showing up for your life with the CAYA mindset. I want to shed light on LGBTQ+ allies who don’t just tolerate their family or friends for being their truest selves, but celebrate them to the fullest. I want to spread the word about local businesses that adhere to this message and encourage their employees to bring their truest selves to the table.
Submit your CAYA entry in the form below! I will review submissions and share one story at a time on the first Monday of every month. I cannot wait to hear from you! Together, let’s never let the world forget that you owe it to yourself to COME AS YOU ARE.
Want to purchase a COME AS YOU ARE popsocket for a good cause? Grab one at the link below and a portion of the proceeds will go to GLSEN, an organization working to ensure LGBTQ+ youth have a safe experience in the K-12 educational setting.
https://www.popsockets.com/p/come-as-you-are/19-006827.html?lang=en_US
