I realize I am making the transition from girlhood to womanhood. Letting go of beauty as my power source and turning to wisdom instead. This journey has been very difficult for me, so I imagine it must be difficult for other women, as well. I have written a memoir that will be published October 9, 2018, and after spending four years writing that book, and healing from the sledgehammer called Life, I thought I had finally figured out who I was. But now I am being forced to figure out how to present myself, in my author photo and as my brand. It has not been easy. And as I’ve writhed around in the pain of trying to be who I think I need to be to sell my book and gain followers, I suddenly realized what is happening: I am leaving the caterpillar stage and becoming a butterfly. A completely different creature. A woman that is no longer naive. A woman that has returned from the battlefield of life wounded, but stronger. A woman whose youthful glow has been replaced by the light of Wisdom. A woman who, intead of needing to be understood, finally seeks to understand. A woman who listens more than she talks. And, instead of being the woman that needs to be noticed for her beauty, I am turning into a woman who instead provides a much needed source of safety, calm, solace, and shelter for others.

Photo Image: Shutterstock by Ksenia Ragozina