TIVOLI JENSEN

Hey, you.  

I just want to talk about you for a second.

Because you’re great. 

But there’s this intriguing line of thought now in the universe that says you’re not great.  This Lie of perpetuated negativity that has moved into your mind and bought Ikea furniture and set up an apartment.  This Lie watches reruns of your embarrassing moments and all those things that you feel bad about that you said or did.  The Lie whispers whenever you glance in a mirror that you don’t look ________ enough.  The Lie murmurs about how what you want to do will never come to fruition because you’re not good enough.  The Lie shrugs on the rare days when you do feel confident, waiting for the moment when you’ll bully yourself later.  Because it knows you will.  You always do.  It shouts that you’re not a unique snowflake, and that you’ll never do anything worthwhile, and that you’re not worth it.

I’m here to tell you that’s a lie.

Completely.

Take a second.  Take a breath.  Take it.  It’s yours.

That air filing your lungs, that oxygen mixture you learned about in science class way too long ago expanding within you.  Your chest rises.

You fill with hopes, and dreams, and wants to travel the world and go to space and to find the perfect coffee shop.  You fill with your desire to learn that instrument and to write that book and to be in that movie.  You want to help people, really help them, and to inspire and to love them.  You have passions and this incredible drive to wake up and get out of bed every day.  Do you know how amazing just that is?  You wake up.  You are this warrior and you achieve and aspire and make such great grilled cheese sandwiches.

Breathe out.  Your chest falls.  Empty.

That’s what the Lie wants.  For you to feel empty– to be empty.  It wants to throw out all of your happiness, your empathy, your dreams and leave you a bereaved ghost of who you once were.  It whispers and shouts and clings onto you until you somehow think of it as a part of you.  That it is you.

But its not.

Because you’re special.

There is no one like you.  You know how I know that?  Because I’ve looked.  I’ve searched high and low for someone who is exactly like you– who knows what you know, and likes what you like, and does what you do.  But I couldn’t find anyone.  I just got right back to where I was and saw you standing before me.

When I kept staring at you– my eyes filling with love because I found you!– you crossed your arms, covering the heart beating within your chest.  You didn’t like me looking at you.  Did you not want me to love you?

Hey, do that.  Put your hand on your heart.  I’m not going to test your knowledge of a Pledge, don’t worry.

That’s such a nice thing.  To feel your heart working.  To know that you’re alive and you’re you and that you’re still going.

I like your heartbeat.  I’m glad that your lungs are air-filled, I’m glad your heart is hard-worked.

I like it because it means you’re alive.

And there’s no one else like you.

No one sings like you do when you’re in the shower, no one could ever be as awesome as you are at that thing you do.  No one could be a friend the way you are.  No one–

Oh.  You… you don’t like something about you?  Why?  What is it?  Can I ask?

Do you want to change it?  Need to?

Then… do.

You don’t like that you’re not as thoughtful as your other friends?  That’s okay, think more.

You don’t like that you’re jealous of those more successful?  That’s okay, do more.

You don’t like that you’re not as smart as you want?  That’s okay, learn more.

You don’t like that you’re not compassionate with others?  That’s okay, feel more.

You don’t like that you feel as alone as you do?

That’s okay.

Be more.

Be present.  Be in this moment.  Breathing this air, heart pumping your blood through your veins, feeling things that you could never dare to admit.

Be.

You are a being, after all.  I believe “being” is what we all do best.

It’s okay to be lonely sometimes.  It’s okay to say the wrong thing sometimes.  It’s okay to be clumsy, and weird, and smart, and beautiful, and good at your favorite things, and to want to be what you want to be, and to do what you want to do.

Because that’s all what makes you… you.

And if you’re not you, then the world will lose out on a being so unique, so special, so fantastic– and what would have been will never be and the earth will miss your footprints in those shoes you walk miles in.

I know its hard.  And I know sometimes it’s great.  And its okay to be sad, and it’s okay to be proud of you, and it’s okay to be angry at you, and okay to be scared of you, and it’s okay to be freaking-out-of-your-mind stoked for you.

You’re great.

Come on, you try.  You say it.

“I’m great.”

Really say it. Out loud.  So your roommate and cat will look up and be like what?

You’re great.

“I’m great.”

Hey, you’re great.

Because you’re you.

And there’s no other you.

And I’m so very glad, because you’re great.

Sincerely,

T.