The Transparent Mirror
By nature, I’m an introvert. I was painfully shy in high school and often mistaken for being a snob because of it. It has been quite a journey to open up and be vulnerable to the masses, revealing my history – of believing in myths and being superstitious of angering an imaginary deity. The road from being an awkward outcast who was made fun of and bullied in my youth to finding my self-confidence has been arduous and painful. I’ve had to admit my mistakes and learn from those lessons while simultaneously embracing the growth that comes along with that. I’ve had to release the importance of what other people think about me and learn to care about what I think about myself. I had to learn to love who I am.
The years of self-imprisonment created a funneling effect to the single point of focus; the maddening hours of study of a fringe religious sect: Christianity, the Bible, and Messianic Hebrew Roots. What was my warden, became my pardon. The education of scripture revealed the keys to escaping its bars and walls. My words are my way of showing others the path to freedom.
My growth never stops and my love of learning never ends. It is my desire to accept constructive criticism with poise and admit my mistakes with grace. As such, I have been shown a flaw in one of my scripture references in my book and will be revising it to reflect that change. It doesn’t change the conclusions nor any of the points that I have made, but it is my wish that nothing is misrepresented and that my ability to accept correction is never hindered by pride or any other element of arrogance. I am human and am not impervious to errors. My ultimate goal is to one day look back at my life and be happy with the steps I made to be the best version of myself that I can be.
I find myself still being snarky at times, and it is in those moments that I need to ask if the recipient has intentionally provoked those responses or if my words are unwarranted; perhaps even a mirroring of a darker part of myself unresolved. I often receive feedback from others that I should avoid such interactions and/or that I didn’t go far enough. But I am the one that must be able to look at myself each morning and be in love with the reflection. I am a perpetual work in progress and hope that each of you understand that... as I work to understand the progress within all of you.
The social media platform is one that has evolved into a bittersweet workspace for those of us who create and wish to share those creations with the world. We must adapt and adjust to the wide-ranging responses that morph over time - sometimes into greater contrasts of brighter love and darker hate. As such, and to remain transparent, I have adopted the practice of blocking the messenger option until such time that I can trust the person behind the profile – to protect my energy and to avoid a malignant sense of cynicism from metastasizing on my inner being. The balance of criticizing the faith in religious texts is precarious at best and can veer into toxicity if gone unchecked. I stand checked and am better for it.
I am still mostly an introvert at heart. I seek to become better at empathy and to reveal myself as approachable and real to others and I invite you to share your stories with me. The comments you leave help me get to know you, and as time permits, vice versa. The reviews you write help me write better. The constructive criticism you give helps me dig deeper. The stories you share helps me grow in compassion and empathy. The more genuine we are with each other, the better humanity is for it.
Much love to you all,
Deborah Grace
The years of self-imprisonment created a funneling effect to the single point of focus; the maddening hours of study of a fringe religious sect: Christianity, the Bible, and Messianic Hebrew Roots. What was my warden, became my pardon. The education of scripture revealed the keys to escaping its bars and walls. My words are my way of showing others the path to freedom.
My growth never stops and my love of learning never ends. It is my desire to accept constructive criticism with poise and admit my mistakes with grace. As such, I have been shown a flaw in one of my scripture references in my book and will be revising it to reflect that change. It doesn’t change the conclusions nor any of the points that I have made, but it is my wish that nothing is misrepresented and that my ability to accept correction is never hindered by pride or any other element of arrogance. I am human and am not impervious to errors. My ultimate goal is to one day look back at my life and be happy with the steps I made to be the best version of myself that I can be.
I find myself still being snarky at times, and it is in those moments that I need to ask if the recipient has intentionally provoked those responses or if my words are unwarranted; perhaps even a mirroring of a darker part of myself unresolved. I often receive feedback from others that I should avoid such interactions and/or that I didn’t go far enough. But I am the one that must be able to look at myself each morning and be in love with the reflection. I am a perpetual work in progress and hope that each of you understand that... as I work to understand the progress within all of you.
The social media platform is one that has evolved into a bittersweet workspace for those of us who create and wish to share those creations with the world. We must adapt and adjust to the wide-ranging responses that morph over time - sometimes into greater contrasts of brighter love and darker hate. As such, and to remain transparent, I have adopted the practice of blocking the messenger option until such time that I can trust the person behind the profile – to protect my energy and to avoid a malignant sense of cynicism from metastasizing on my inner being. The balance of criticizing the faith in religious texts is precarious at best and can veer into toxicity if gone unchecked. I stand checked and am better for it.
I am still mostly an introvert at heart. I seek to become better at empathy and to reveal myself as approachable and real to others and I invite you to share your stories with me. The comments you leave help me get to know you, and as time permits, vice versa. The reviews you write help me write better. The constructive criticism you give helps me dig deeper. The stories you share helps me grow in compassion and empathy. The more genuine we are with each other, the better humanity is for it.
Much love to you all,
Deborah Grace
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