Last week, Bruce Jenner, once hailed as the greatest athlete in the world, an all American hero, and father to the most famous reality TV stars, admitted to Diane Sawyer that he is “for all intents and purposes, a woman.”
In so doing, he brought the word “transgender” into the national conversation like never before.
But what struck me most were not the fascinating revelations about his sexuality and gender.
Despite the sensational topic, the most important thing about Bruce Jenner’s confession is that it represents an essentially human struggle:
Keeping who you truly are a secret, for fear of being shamed, rejected, or worse.
Jenner pointed out the symbolism of his Olympic track and field triumphs: “I was literally running away from all this stuff.” While the world saw the face of success and victory, he saw confusion, and the trap of public identity.
He kept his true gender a secret, because he didn’t want to disappoint people who expected him to be someone else. He experienced depression, and at one point, considered suicide. Because it seemed so much easier than facing the truth.
Here’s the beautiful part about his journey – he finally realized that he needed to come forward with who he truly was. “I would be so mad at myself if I didn’t explore that side of me…I want to know how this story ends.”
Knowing who you truly are and being honest about it, despite the fear of rejection: this is one of the deepest yearnings of your heart.
Your soul demands it – at first quietly, and then, if you ignore it, more urgently. Often it comes in the form of dissatisfaction, anxiety or sorrow…an insistent voice that says “This isn’t it. This isn’t you.”
Towards the end of the interview, Jenner shared that he has wondered how God sees him. And then he muses:
“Maybe this is my cause in life.”
“This is why God put me on this earth…to deal with this issue.”
Seeing how his fame has allowed him to bring the issue of transgender discrimination into the limelight, would you agree?
What if your greatest struggle is the very reason why you are here?
Teray Garchitorena Kunishi, ND
Get in touch at http://www.deeplyhappy.com/contact/
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