Creating 2015—Day 123: Super Soul Sunday with Janet Mock
Posted by Kelli Joan Bennett
Janet Mock is Redefining Realness. Born Charles, her father’s first son, she instinctively knew and identified as a girl as early as age three. Fascinating stuff! And inspiring. Incredibly inspiring. The courage it took her to step into her authentic self makes my jaw drop. I marvel at her bravery, her conviction, her strength to say, “this is who I am.” And not only to say it, to live it. I also marvel at her crystal clear clarity. The fact she so clearly knew who she was! I often feel like I’m still trying to figure that out! Who am I? Or, more likely, I’m still trying to figure out who the world will accept and celebrate me as. In other words, who is the best me to be approved of in the broadest way? Wow. That’s an aha moment for me.
At one point Oprah started crying as she expressed what she felt she understood and took away from Janet’s book, Redefining Realness. “It’s the same conversation every human wants to have, I want you to see me for who I am.” What I take away from Oprah’s comment is that we all want to be accepted and loved unconditionally. No matter what our gender identity, sexual preference, aesthetic beauty or lack of it, financial situation, whether we’re a success or failure—we want to be loved and respected and validated—we want to be seen for exactly who we are.
Oprah said repeatedly as she talked to Janet during the show, “stay open.” I consider myself about as open minded and accepting as a person can be of others and their choices. But, this Super Soul Sunday show with Janet Mock opened my mind up in a way I didn’t know it needed opening. And it absolutely needed to be opened in this way. I had to keep reminding myself to “stay open” as I watched and listened, so I could take in and try to understand this new way of looking at gender.
Until tomorrow, create from what you have…an opened mind.
Beautiful!